The Sisters, the Compass and the Lion
by Fair Echo
Summary: "Goodbye Mummy, I love you!" Joy did not want to leave her home in the city to live out in the middle of no where with strangers, but she and her older sister Rebecca had no choice. Only they soon discover there is something strange about the professor's house, and they get pulled into a magical world where they find there is more to them, and their new friends, than meets the eye.
1. Leaving London and the Four Strangers

**Chapter One**

Once there were two sisters whose names were Rebecca and Joyce Anderson. They lived in a small city on London's outskirts with their Mum while their Father was off fighting in the war. Rebecca was the eldest, with long golden hair that always shimmered in the sun and she was a growing artist. Joyce, who preferred to be called Joy because Joyce was her Great-Aunt's name and Joy did not like her much, had a blonde bob and spent a lot of time getting into trouble herself and trying to stay out of trouble from her Mum and sister.

World War Two had started some time ago, and now the Nazis were increasing their bombing of London and the surrounding cities, leaving ruin and death in their wake. A program was set up to send children out of London to live with families in the country until the air raids stop, and that was how Rebecca and Joy found themselves standing on the platform with their Mum. Suitcases sat cluttered around the girl's feet. Joy looked nervously around at the other families on the platform. Beside Joy, Rebecca was sliding her bobby pins back into her hair to try and keep it out of her face.

"Mum, do we really have to go?" asked Joy. "I don't want to leave Harold behind." Harold was the old cat who lived under their back porch, and Joy was the only one who could get close to him without him scratching her. "And what about Father? If he was here-"

"Joy-" Rebecca gave her a warning look.

"Now Joy," Mum cut her off. "Enough about Father." She knelt in front of Joy and used a safety pin to attach the tag with her address on one side and her destination on another to her coat. "Don't you worry about Harold. He can take care of himself." Once the tag was firmly attached Mum stood up, her lovely blonde hair falling in her face. Joy always thought Mum looked like a glamourous movie star with her hair down and curled around her shoulders.

"Joy," Mum gently took her chin in her hand "I want you to listen to Rebecca, and try not to cause too much trouble for the Professor." Mum winked, obviously trying to cheer her up but Joy only nodded and let her eyes return to the floor.

"Rebecca," Mum hugged her tightly and said something softly in her ear, but Joy wasn't listening. She hated good-byes. Her thoughts slowly turned to her last good-bye; her best friend Timothy. One day he was at school, they walked home together like everything was normal and then an air raid happened that night.

Tim did not make it to school the next day. And also, Father was out there-

Tears pricked her eyes. Joy picked up her suitcase. "Let's go then," she said in a choked voice. Rebecca let go of Mum and picked up her own things. They made their way through the crowd of children and mothers to a stout woman with a blonde bob, a conductor's cap and uniform.

She looked at their tags and took the ticket envelope from Rebecca's hand, and they headed past the barrier and for the train door. Joy looked back, looking for Mum in the crowd of mothers. Rebecca grabbed her hand. "Come on Joy, the two of us have to stick together now. It will be fine, just you-" Joy pulled her hand away, ignoring her, and stepped onto the train.

Another waiting conductor with a thick brown mustache ushered them to a compartment with a sliding glass door and told them to stay there for the trip. The moment he closed the door Joy felt trapped. This was really happening, they were leaving Mum to go live with total strangers.

Rebecca took the suitcase from her and stored it on the shelf over their heads and sat down next to the window with her sketchpad. Joy slowly opened the window to the compartment and looked at the crowd of mothers. "Where's Mum? Where's Mum?" she muttered to herself over and over again. She finally spotted that brown felt hat and started waving frantically.

"Good-bye Mummy, I love you!" Mum saw her and waved back.

"Joy sit down! The train could start moving at any moment." Rebecca made a grab for her arm. Joy continued waving and stepped out of range. "Joyce!" Joy glared at Rebecca.

"Rebecca, don't call me that! You know how I hate it." She sat down across from her and stuck her lower lip out in a pout. Rebecca sighed.

"Joyce would you please stop acting immature and act your age?" Ever prim and proper, Rebecca remained seated, legs crossed like a proper young lady, sketching in her sketchpad.

"Would you please stop acting like Mum by telling me what to do?" retorted Joy.

"Do you think Mum would like us arguing when the train hasn't even left the station?" countered Rebecca. That statement made both girls grow quiet. Joy hated to admit it, but Rebecca had a point.

Joy peeked out the window again. Mum was still on the platform, trying to keep a brave face, but Joy could see she was trying not to cry. Rebecca was sketching, looking from the window to the page over and over again, but what else was new? Rebecca was always drawing.

The train whistle blew outside. The pistons squeaked. The car jolted, throwing Joy back against her seat, and then the platform started pulling away. Suddenly Rebecca dropped her pencil and waved out the window. "Bye Mum! I love you!"

"Bye Mummy!" Joy stood and waved next to her. Mum waved back, tears falling into her smile. Another woman with brown hair came up next to her. Mum looked at her and seemed surprised, but quickly shook the other woman's hand, smiling. Then both resumed waving at the train. Joy looked out the window and down the length of the train. And all down the train at every window there were hands waving at the crowd of mothers, all children heading to who knows where.

"Ahem." Rebecca and Joy tore their gaze away from the open window and saw the conductor standing at the door of their compartment. "I hope you girls won't mind sharing."

"No, of course not sir," said Rebecca. She grabbed the suitcase off the luggage rack above her head and moved it to the other one above Joy's. Then she sat down next to Joy, who was now seated looking out the window. Slowly, four children entered the compartment.

There's two boys and two girls, the older two looked to be about Rebecca's age while the younger brother looked about Joy's age and the younger girl looked a little younger than Joy herself. They don't say anything, but the youngest girl gave Rebecca and Joy slight smiles. The oldest boy put one of their suitcases on the luggage rack then reached for the other one but the other boy refused and put it away himself. He then sulked to the other window seat and sat down. The two girls sat down beside him and the oldest boy wound up next to Rebecca, who quickly closed her sketchpad and pulled out a book instead.

No one said a word as the train pulled out of the city. Factories and flats turned into rolling hills and never-ending forests lining the track. Joy stared as the scenery passed, trying not to think about where they were going. It seemed like talking about where they were going would make the circumstances real. Joy still wanted to believe it was a bad dream. Deep down, she was feeling bad for all the rotten things she did to Mum. Maybe she should have apologized before they left, and she stared out the window with guilt. Her thoughts slowly turned to the destination of the trip.

A professor, who apparently lived in a large mansion in the country with his housekeeper called Mrs. Macready, and three servants. Joy only wanted the train to turn back and they could go home, all of the children on this train. Mum's words come back to her: "Listen to Rebecca, and try not to cause too much trouble." Joy sighed sadly, clasped her hands in her lap and tried to focus on the scenery passing the window. Then the train started slowing down.

The conductor passed the compartment in the hallway, calling out the name of the next stop. Behind him came two children carrying bundles and walking rather quickly to keep up with the conductor. A few minutes passed before the children appeared outside Joy's window. An older couple met the children and after inspecting them, headed them off towards a waiting wagon. The younger boy across from Joy looked around at his siblings, and Rebecca gently pulled Joy back so she would not be plastered against the window anymore.

The train pulled away from the station, and Joy moved back to the window. _If Rebecca can read, I can look out the window._ But all the scenery looked the same, same hills and valleys, and distant mountains which seemed to be coming closer all the time.

Hours passed, tea was brought around on a trolley but no one was really hungry. After noticing Rebecca had been staring at the same page for ten minutes, Joy realized she was nervous too. What would the professor be like? Would he be sweet like Grandpa, or grumpy like Great-Uncle Charles? Even if he was like Grandpa Joy was determined not to like him, she wanted to go home. Joy slumped in her seat, receiving a sharp elbow in the ribs from Rebecca.

"Coombe Halt!" The conductor slid open the compartment door. "The Anderson's and Pevensie's?"

"Yes?" said the older boy. Rebecca closed her book. The others in the compartment sat up straighter, except for the boy slumped against the window.

"Time to go." He stepped back out into the hallway, and the children gathered together their luggage. Joy grabbed her suitcase first and headed out into the hallway. The conductor stared straight ahead, not returning Joy's slight smile. The other children filed out around her and the conductor led them down the hallway.

Joy ended up walking next to the sulking boy as they approached the car door. She gave him a smile, hoping to make a friend, but he only scowled and stood by himself against the train wall. The train slowed down again, and steam whooshed into the air as it came to a complete stop.

"Off you go," the conductor stood close behind them. Rebecca grabbed Joy's hand and stepped down onto the wooden platform of the country station. The thud of footsteps behind her told Joy the others were getting off too. The whistle blew again, and the train pulled away from the platform.

The children stood in a line facing the large wooden sign: Coombe Halt, painted on a black board. No one moved, as if taking one step would bring their potentially horrible fate crashing down on them. Finally, Rebecca took a step forward.

_Honk_. A car.

The children leapt to life, grabbing their belongings and running down the steps. The car kept on honking, and drove right past the children, rumbled across the tracks, and continued down the dirt road. They all looked in the direction the car came from. No other approaching cars.

"The professor knew we were coming," said the older girl. The grumpy boy looked down at his tag.

"Perhaps we've been incorrectly labelled," he said. Joy looked at her own.

"Not likely," stated Joy. All the children looked at her.

"Joyce," warned Rebecca. Joy rolled her eyes at her when a "Come on," caught everyone's attention.

A horse-drawn wagon slowly approached the children. It was being drawn by a large white horse, with long hair around its hooves, and blinders around its eyes like they used forty years ago. The driver is a lady, who wore a brown woolen coat, wire-rimmed glasses and a felt hat with a wide brim. There was something no-nonsense about her as she pulled the horse to a stop. "And whoa, whoa," she said with a stern, monotone voice. The wagon stopped. The woman stared at the children, scrutinizing them, and all the children looked nervously at one another. Finally, the older boy spoke.

"Mrs. Macready?" he asked.

"I'm afraid so," spoke the woman matter-of-factly. "Is this it then?" she gestured to their luggage "Haven't you brought anything else?"

"No ma'am, its just us." His youngest sister nodded fearfully.

"Small favours," said Mrs. Macready. She nodded towards the back of the wagon with a half smile that didn't quite meet her eyes. The children made their way to the back of the wagon and loaded in the luggage first.

The oldest brother named Peter helped his sisters Susan and Lucy in first. His brother Edmund tried to get in next but Peter held him back so Rebecca and Joy could climb in next. All the girls had taken the seats so Peter and Edmund had to sit on the floor. And then they were off.

The wagon rumbled over the dirt road, and every rock and rut that the wheels hit could be felt by all the passengers. The squeak of the leather harness and the groaning of the wood filled the air, which left all the children silently waiting their fate.

Lucy kept on staring at the horse with a look of complete terror, until the large house came into view. Joy gripped the side of the wagon so as not to fall on the sulking Edmund sitting by her feet. Peter was looking around at his siblings, who were either fidgeting with their fingers and staring silently at everything around them. Rebecca was gripping the wagon seat beside her, staring at her bag as if she wanted to get her book out. That was when Joy noticed the building rising up out of the trees in front of them.

It was a huge mansion, with three levels to the house. Stained glass windows and balconies could be seen on the upper levels, stables were to the right of the house, and extensive grounds could be seen around the house. Grounds that included gardens, rivers, lakes, valleys, forests, and even mountains behind the house. Joy smiled at the thought of exploring, getting lost, Rebecca's face when she would find out. A chuckle down by her feet made Joy look down, and see Edmund smirking up at her. She stuck her tongue out at him and that was when the wagon came to a stop in front of the house.

Mrs. Macready stepped down from the wagon seat and tied the reins to a hitching post. "All of you, step down please." The children slowly climbed out, dragging their luggage with them. Peter helped the girls down, including Rebecca and Joy. Joy stumbled in the dirt while Rebecca landed gracefully, always the lady, and she blushed as Peter helped her down. Joy couldn't wait to tease her about that.

The housekeeper ordered the children to pick up their bags and led them into the entrance way of the house. The children wiped their feet on the mat, also Mrs. Macready's order, and then they headed for the stairs. "Now, Professor Kirke is not accustomed to havin' children in this house." She sounded like she was giving a lecture, which made Joy instantly dislike the woman. The children stared at the large entry way.

A dark wooden staircase went up to a landing and branched off to the left and right wings of the house. The same dark wood was lining the walls, with different historical artifacts placed around the room and hung up on the walls, and a large colourful carpet lay on the floor. It reminded Joy of a museum, only it didn't feel as dead and hollow. All the while, Mrs. Macready continued on with her lecture.

"And as such, there are a few rules we need to follow." Joy rolled her eyes and sighed, hoping she would still be able to have some fun while living here. "There will be no shoutin'," Mrs. Macready turned sharply around in Susan's face, making the group halt "or runnin'." She continued up the stairs and the children followed slowly. "No improper use of the dumbwaiter."

At the top of the stairs Susan spotted a marble bust and reached out to touch it. "No!" They all froze again. "Touching of the historical artifacts!" Peter, Edmund and Joy grinned while Rebecca and Lucy tried to hide their smiles. Susan sighed, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"And above all, there shall be no disturbing, of the professor," her voice dropped off to a whisper as she finished the sentence. She gestured to the door beside her, which was at the top of the stairs, then continued walking. She led the children through an alcove and up another set of stairs.

At the top of the stairs, she gave the boys the first room, Susan and Lucy the second, and Rebecca and Joy the room at the end of the hall. "Dinner will be served at six o'clock sharp, and no one must be late." She then walked down the hallway and went downstairs.

Rebecca and Joy walked into their room slowly. There were dark gray curtains on the windows, one bed and a large oak dresser in the corner. There was also a fireplace with two highbacked armchairs sitting in front of it. Rebecca placed her suitcase on the bed. "Well so far it doesn't seem so bad."

"Sure Rebecca, no running or shouting." Joy frowned as she unpacked her things. "And four others who don't seem to like us very much."

"Well Lucy and Peter seemed nice," Joy rolled her eyes "but that Edmund," she shook her head "I don't know about him."

"Peter only seems nice because you have taken a fancy to him." Rebecca shook her head.

"Don't be ridiculous," she mumbled and she shoved the empty suitcase under the bed, then placed her sketchpad next to the bed. Joy pulled a small picture frame out of her suitcase.

"Rebecca? What do you think Mum is doing right now?" Rebecca sat down on the bed slowly, as if deep in thought, her open sketchpad in her lap.

"Mum would be working at the factory by now," said Rebecca wistfully "and she would be missing us terribly." Joy sighed.

"I miss Mum," said Joy quietly. She quickly set the picture frame on top of the dresser and stepped back to admire it. "Remember when we took this picture?" Rebecca got off the bed and walked over, standing beside her.

"Yes," Rebecca smiled wistfully "that was our last vacation together before Father was drafted, two summers ago." Joy stepped away from Rebecca and picked up the folded blouses out of her suitcase. "I miss Father," said Rebecca, still staring at the picture frame.

"I miss Father too, I wish this war would end." Joy closed the last dresser drawer and put her suitcase under the bed.

"Me too Joy, me too." Rebecca hugged her tightly. "But while we're here, let's get along."

"Sure Rebecca, I promise I won't put any spiders in your bed or make fun of you and Peter." Rebecca blushed while they shook hands in truce, then smirked like she had an idea.

"Alright," she paused "Joyce."

"No!" Joy yanked her hand away. Rebecca started laughing hysterically. "Not that!" said Joy, her annoyed tone dissolving into giggles. It felt like the two of them hadn't really laughed together in a long time, maybe their stay at the professor's wouldn't be so bad after all. Joy took a look at Rebecca's sketches before they headed down to the dining room and saw a pencil sketch of Mum on the platform, and an outline of a uniform cap and face; Father.

Dinner passed quietly, with no sign of the professor. After dinner, Mrs. Macready ordered all the children to go straight to their rooms and not to make too much noise or stay up late talking. Before going to bed, Joy made splendid plans to go exploring in the woods, maybe she would talk the cook, Betty, into packing her a basket lunch. Joy smiled to herself as she got under the dark blue covers.

Tomorrow would be the start of all her adventures, she was certain of that.


	2. A Most Interesting Wardrobe

**Chapter Two**

"'Gastrovascular.'" Joy and Lucy looked at each other and back out the window at the rain. It was falling so thickly that both girls couldn't see the stream in the garden below. Why did it have to rain on their first day here, when there were so many exciting things they could be doing instead?

"All my good plans," mumbled Joy. Underneath the side table, Edmund rolled his eyes.

"Come on Peter, 'Gastrovascular'," persisted Susan. Peter rolled his head to the side.

"Is it Latin?" Susan looked down at the huge, old dictionary.

"Yes."

"Is it Latin for," Edmund climbed out from under the table "'worst game ever invented?'" He and Peter laughed. Rebecca, sitting across the room, smiled while sipping some tea. Susan, annoyed, slammed the massive book shut and slid it off her lap onto the couch next to her. Lucy got off the window seat and walked over to Peter.

"Well, we could play hide-and-seek?"

"But we're already having so much fun," said Peter in a monotone voice. Susan sighed, annoyed with Peter. Rebecca looked up from her notebook.

"Come Peter please," Lucy grabbed Peter's arm. "Pretty please?" she whimpered. Joy got off the window seat and stood behind her, smiling hopefully.

"One," Peter started counting "two, three-"

"What?" exclaimed Edmund.

"Four, five, six, seven" Susan rolled her eyes and got up off the couch. Rebecca put down her pencil and stood up as well. Everyone headed out different doors and ran down the halls.

Coming up some stairs and turning to her right, Joy found a spot behind some thick curtains in a dark alcove in a long hallway. Folding her legs up and tucking her knees under her chin, she sat on the windowsill waiting. Running footsteps thudded down the hall, and she heard the rungs of a curtain slide on a curtain rod.

"I was here first!" said Edmund. Someone huffed and ran further down the hallway. Joy could still hear Peter counting from the other room.

"Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred. Ready or not, here I come!"

"It's alright! I'm back!" Lucy, what was she thinking?! Joy unfolded herself from the ledge and peeked out of the curtain. Lucy ran down some steps and shouted, "I'm alright!" Edmund's head poked out of some curtains beside Lucy.

"Shut up, he's coming!" he said in a whiny voice. That was when Peter entered the hallway. Edmund sighed and gave Lucy a grumpy look as he stepped out from behind the curtains.

"You know, I'm not sure you two have quite got the idea of this game," said Peter.

"Make that three," Edmund pointed at Joy and Peter turned around before she could duck behind the curtain again. Glaring at Edmund, Joy slowly approached the others.

"Weren't you wondering where I was?" asked Lucy.

"That's the point," Edmund turned on Lucy "that was why he was seeking you." Susan and Rebecca ran up to the others.

"Does this mean we win?" asked Susan. Peter shrugged, looking around at the others.

"I don't think Lucy wants to play anymore."

"I've been gone for hours," said Lucy. Everyone stared at her. "I got in the wardrobe so I could hide, and inside the wardrobe there's a whole other world! There was a wood, it was snowing and there was a lamppost in the middle of the forest. It's called Narnia, and I met a faun named Mr. Tumnus." The children looked at each other, not believing a word of it. Joy however felt very curious and secretly believed the story.

"He invited me over to his cave, and he told me about the White Witch, who has made it always winter but never Christmas. And this has been going on for one hundred years!" Lucy grabbed Peter's hand. "Come on! I'll show you myself." Joy and Rebecca followed at the back of the group.

Lucy lead them up some more stairs and straight to the second door on their left. Inside, there stood a large wardrobe, nothing else in the room. A white cloth lay on the floor, as if it had covered the wardrobe and Lucy had pulled it off, and several mothballs were lolling about on the floor, and Joy accidentally stepped on one. A great tree with spreading branches and apples was carved into the door, and other carvings, like birds and tree branches, marked the front of the wardrobe. Lucy opened the door excitedly.

"Go in and see!" Susan entered first, pulling the coats aside. Peter, Edmund and Rebecca pulled the wardrobe out from the wall and Edmund knocked on the back wall. Susan knocked on the inside, and then stepped outside where the others waited.

"Lucy, the only wood in here is the back of the wardrobe."

"One game at a time Lu," Lucy looked from Susan to Peter. "We don't all have your imagination." Peter, Susan, and Edmund headed for the door. Rebecca and Joy hung back, staring at the wardrobe. Lucy looked at Joy, who opened her mouth to speak, then Lucy faced the others.

"But I wasn't imagining!" They all turned around, looking either annoyed or frustrated.

"That's enough Lucy," said Susan.

"I wouldn't lie about this!" cried Lucy.

"Well I believe you," Edmund stepped forward.

"You do?" asked Lucy. Joy gave Edmund a suspicious glance.

"Yeah of course! Didn't I tell you about the football field in the bathroom cupboards?" He smiled at his joke, while Lucy looked even more disappointed than before. Joy glared at him.

"Oh, would you just stop." Peter faced him. "You just have to make everything worse, don't you?"

"It's just a joke," said Edmund.

"When are you going to learn to grow up?" asked Peter.

"Shut up!" Edmund exploded. "You think you're Dad but you're not!" He ran from the room. Susan watched him leave and then looked at Peter.

"Well that was nicely handled." She then left in a huff.

"But," said Lucy hesitantly. Peter turned back towards her, still standing by the wardrobe "it really was there."

"Susan's right Lucy, that's enough." He left the room. Rebecca headed for the door, a torn expression on her face. She then noticed Joy was not following.

"Joy? Are you coming?" she looked concernedly at Joy.

"In a moment," Joy looked at Lucy, waiting for Rebecca to leave. Rebecca opened her mouth to say something, then slightly shook her head and followed the others. Once her footsteps retreated down the hallway, Joy spoke. "Lucy," Lucy looked up from the floor "I believe you."

"You really do?" Lucy asked, not believing her.

"Yes, because it makes sense. I've made up stories to get out of trouble, but it takes some time for me to make up one with that many details," said Joy with determination. "I believe this Narnia exists." Joy smiled and looked at the wardrobe. "I only wish I knew how to get there."

"Maybe the wardrobe has had enough for one day." Lucy looked wistfully at the wardrobe then closed the door.

"Come on, let's go. It doesn't matter what the others think, at least we're in on this together." Joy headed for the open door.

"Yes, and thank you Joy." Lucy ran after her and smiled up at her, and the two left the room.

Several hours later, Joy found herself back in the wardrobe room. Lucy had described every detail of Narnia to her over the last four hours, and then they had played a Narnia game where the two of them met Mr. Tumnus in the wood. Then the White Witch, also known as Susan, came up behind them and told the girls to get ready for dinner. Which gave Joy to perfect opportunity to go to the wardrobe room.

"So, what did Lucy do first?" Joy opened the wardrobe door and stepped inside. "She left the door open a crack and walked backwards to the back of the wardrobe." She turned around and planted one foot behind the other, and slowly walked towards the back, keeping a hand stretched out behind her so she wouldn't run into the wall. If the wardrobe wouldn't let her into Narnia.

Her fingers brushed smooth wood, and Joy got her answer. She sighed and leaned against the wood. "I guess the wardrobe has had enough for one day," she said with defeat. Then, the wood gave out, vanishing behind her. Joy reached out to grab one of the fur coats as she fell backwards and landed hard in the snow. "Ouch!" Her legs hung over a large fallen branch, sitting right where the wooden floor turned into snow. The cold of the snow at the back of her neck made Joy quickly sit up and look around.

Through the two pine branches heavy laden with snow which were hanging over her head, Joy could see a snow-covered forest, and beyond it a light in the distance. It appeared to be nighttime, and the soft glow of the moon through the clouds cast strange shadows on the snow around her. Joy's excitement made her stand up and walk forward, brushing the snow away from her collar. She walked forward, full of excitement. The forest was beautiful, snow covering every little pine needle, empty branch, heather; it was all so beautiful.

Joy came around a corner and saw standing up before her, in the middle of a clearing, a lamppost. Just as Lucy had said. Joy could even see her fingerprints on the frosty metal, though they seemed to be covered in a new layer of frost. "What would a lamppost be doing in the middle of a wood?" She stepped closer, staring at the flickering light.

"That is a good question that goes back out of my time on this earth," said a voice behind her. Joy screamed and spun around, stooping to scoop a handful of snow to defend herself. Looking sharply around, she finally noticed the speaker.

It was a bright orange fox, who had very intelligent eyes. "Relax! I'm a good fox."

"That was you?" Joy lowered the hand holding the snowball. "You can talk?" Was the cold starting to get to her brain?

"Yes, I am fortunate enough to call myself one of the Talking Beasts of Narnia," said the fox with pride. "And you, you must be a Daughter of Eve." He pointed one paw at her.

"No, my mum's name is Christine, not Eve. My name is Joy." She pointed to herself. "And this is Narnia, right?" She gestured to the snowy wood around them.

"Yes, our beautiful Narnia locked in snow and ice for over a hundred years now." The fox sighed, then cocked his head as if confused. "How do you know about Narnia?"

"My friend Lucy told me, she met a faun here named Mr. Tumnus."

"One of the Queens?!" asked the fox. Joy stared, not knowing how to respond, so the fox said, "Never mind." He then lowered his voice, like he was talking to himself. "I didn't know Tumnus was on our side, I must talk to him sooner than later." He looked back at her and quickly trotted forward. "You must be frozen in those wet clothes." Indeed, she was now that the excitement had worn off and Joy was feeling rather chilly. Joy dropped the snowball and briskly rubbed her arms with her cold hands.

"Yes, I am," she said before her chattering teeth caught a lip between them.

"Come with me and I will help you." He started heading into the forest.

"But-" Joy called after him and the fox turned around. "How do I know I can trust you? Do you work for the White Witch?" The fox raised his head with a proud look on his face.

"No, I am loyal to Aslan, the real King of Narnia."

Aslan. The name gave her a feeling of tremendous excitement and adventure, and she realized she didn't feel as cold as before. "Who is Aslan?" she asked. The fox ran back to her, eyes glowing.

"He is the King of the Wood and the Son of the Emperor beyond the Sea. He has just come back to Narnia because we've heard that one of the future Queens, another Daughter of Eve, came into Narnia." It had to be Lucy, but what did he mean by a Queen? Joy didn't have a chance to ask for the fox said, "Now come quickly, some of the trees are on the Witch's side and they might report back to her so come on." He bounded out of the clearing and Joy ran to keep up with him.

He led her through the thick wood where the ground sloped downwards and eventually levelled out. Joy did her best to keep the bright orange fox in sight but with the dark shadows from the trees it was hard to make things out while you're jogging. When she lost sight of him and stood in the middle of the dark wood, Joy started to wonder if she should have trusted him.

"Now what do I do?" She turned around and around, rubbing her arms and legs as a cold wind was going up her skirt and she was feeling cold all over again.

"Daughter of Eve? Joy?" Joy suddenly saw him, standing by a large tree to her right. Joy walked forward and saw beyond the tree, four little houses. There was a tiny table, and several little chairs outside of one hut, and two others had lighted windows. The last hut seemed to be more of a dugout, for there were no windows and a door which was sloped like the mound of dirt itself.

A badger came out of the house closest to the dugout and walked over to it, humming as he went. Joy smiled at the cute badger as she watched him. He was carrying a fishing pole and a pail and gave a quick look back at his own house before opening the door to the dugout. At that moment, the fox by Joy's feet leapt forward.

"Badger!" The badger started. He dropped his pole and pail and fell head first into the dugout! The fox burst out laughing. "You should have seen your face!" The badger's head appeared out of the dugout door, and he wasn't laughing.

"Very funny fox." He climbed out and pulled the door closed behind him. "The Mrs. doesn't know about this and I would prefer to keep it that way." He collected his things together. "Your kind is always making trouble," he grumbled under his breath.

"Of course, of course." The fox bowed his head, but Joy could still see a smile on his face. "I actually came here to ask if you could do me a favour."

"What is it now?! I have already promised to serve in Aslan's army, what more do you want?" The fox turned and looked at Joy, still standing by the tree. "Oh!" The badger instantly changed his attitude. "Is it one of the Queens?" asked the badger, looking very hopeful.

"No." The badger's face fell. "But any human coming into Narnia comes for a purpose, so I will have to talk to Aslan about her." The fox waved his paw at Joy. "Come here Joy." Joy slowly walked forward, not sure whether to feel nervous about the badger's claws or the fox's words. A purpose? What on earth could the fox mean? Her chattering teeth refused to let her ask.

"Would you be able to warm her up with a warm fire and some hot tea? As you can see, she's very cold." The badger nodded.

"Of course, come this way girl." The badger pointed one claw towards one of the huts with the lighted windows.

"My name is Joy, Mr. Badger," stammered Joy "but I thank you. I can only stay for a little while before I have to get back home," she started towards the little building with the thatched roof.

"Well I might as well stay too!" The fox grinned at his friend, who rolled his eyes and led the way into his little hut.

It was a small hut, but every bit of the space was used for a purpose. There were bunks built against the wall, dried vegetables hanging from the ceiling, a stove stood in the corner and next to it sat a cupboard full of dishes. Fishing hooks, a tack box, burlap sacks and wiring were all hanging up on one wall, and a small bookshelf sat opposite it across the room. A table in the middle of the room took up most of the space, which was covered in a checkered tablecloth, and next to the stove in a rocking chair, sat another badger wearing glasses. She was knitting what looked like socks, but they were so big Joy thought she must be mistaken.

The other badger looked up and saw Joy. Startled, she stood up so quickly that her wool nearly rolled into the fire if Mr. Badger hadn't it for her. "Dearie," said Mr. Badger "it's not what you think," he said very gently. Disappointment covered Mrs. Badger's features and Joy didn't know whether to feel sorry for her or feel shame for herself. "But she is human, and humans are always a good sign." Mrs. Badger perked up again, not as much as the first time though. "And right now, what she needs is to get warm." Mrs. Beaver leapt into action.

She pushed the rocking chair closer to the stove and gestured for Joy to sit down. The rocking chair was just a little small for Joy, but she could manage. The fox curled up by her feet, closing his eyes like he was going to take a nap, then Mrs. Badger handed Joy a cup of hot tea. It tasted like none of the tea back in England, but it was the best tea Joy had ever had. Sipping the tea slowly, she stared at the dancing flames through the grate in the stove until she could keep her eyes open no longer and leaned back in the chair.

"She's not one of the Queens, but Fox here says that humans always come to Narnia for a reason." Joy's eyes flew open, and her ears latched onto the badger's voice. "We must have hope dearie, especially after all you went through." Joy turned her head slightly and saw Mr. Badger cupping his wife's face with his paws. It was such a cute scene that Joy smiled. Lolling her head to one side, she looked out the little window above the stove.

Blackness. Joy jumped up, startling the fox lying by her feet, and she nearly stepped on his tail. "I need to go! It's getting awfully late and I must get home." She put the tea cup down on the table.

"Thank you for the wakeup call." The fox rolled over on his back and stretched, his paws scratching the air over his head, and yawned so that she could see every one of his sharp teeth. "I guess I should take you back now."

"Please, my sister will be worried about what's happened to me." The fox perked up at the mention of Rebecca.

"You have a sister?" The Badgers were listening now as well.

"Yes, Rebecca." Feeling slightly cornered by all the eyes on her, Joy moved towards the door.

"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Badger, for your hospitality." Mrs. Badger nodded, smiling at Joy.

"Always a pleasure to help out a human," said Mr. Badger. The fox stood up on his hind legs and turned the doorknob with his paws, then bounded out into the snow. Joy followed him and when she looked back over her shoulder, the door to the Badger's home was shut, and the light in the window had gone out.

"Come on Joy! Keep up!" Joy ran after him. They took almost the same route back, as least from what Joy could make out. The fox led her through thick bushes and the darker parts of the forest, and he was constantly sniffing the air. When Joy asked him why he did that, he said it was in case the Witch's secret police was nearby, so he could be ready if they attacked the two of them. Once the lamppost came in sight, the fox slowed down.

"Mr. Fox, why did Mrs. Badger not say a word the whole time we were visiting?" The fox hung his head, like the question was weighing him down.

"She had her tongue cut out by the Witch." Joy gasped in horror.

"How awful!" The fox nodded.

"Yes, she was speaking to some trees about keeping faith in Aslan and the prophecy, unaware one of the trees was loyal to the Witch. The Witch came down from her castle in a fury, but instead of turning her into stone, the Witch decided to make sure she would never speak of uprising again." Joy felt like she was going to be sick and put a hand to her stomach. The fox looked around the clearing.

"Do you know your way back from here?" Joy nodded.

"Yes, it's that way." She pointed towards the wardrobe entrance, where she could still see the fading daylight from the wardrobe room. She knelt in front of the fox. "Will you be alright for helping a human?" The fox shrugged, smiling.

"So far I've been lucky, and I think I will be lucky for a long time." He grinned at Joy, then ran off into the woods. Joy watched him run away, then headed for the wardrobe. Stepping over the fallen branch, her foot suddenly hit a wooden floorboard of the wardrobe. The prickly tree branches gave way to soft fur coats, and suddenly the wardrobe door flew open and Joy fell out onto the floor of the room.

Looking back over her shoulder, Joy saw the back wall of the wardrobe, no snow-covered forest. She grinned, feeling strangely excited, then got to her feet. She ran out of the wardrobe room and headed for her own. After brushing the loose hair out of her face, Joy stepped inside where she found Rebecca standing in front of the dresser, pinning her long hair out of her face with bobby pins.

"Where have you been? Susan said she told you and Lucy to get ready for dinner and then you disappeared." Joy shrugged, mumbling "I don't know," knowing Rebecca wouldn't believe her. Rebecca looked at her suspiciously then told her to brush her hair. With their faces washed and hair combed, the two girls made their way down to the dining room.


	3. Meeting the Professor

**Chapter Three**

The dining room was a large rectangle with dark panelling on the walls, a large chandelier that reminded Rebecca of _The Phantom of the Opera_ and a large oak table in the middle. There was an entrance from the adjacent kitchen where the servants brought out the food, and then the main entrance sat at the end of the room. Rebecca and Joy were the last ones to enter and took the seats, to their dismay, on either side of Mrs. Macready, who was sitting at the foot of the table. Rebecca sat down across from Joy who sat next to Lucy, who was seated beside Edmund. Sitting next to Rebecca was Peter and then beside him was Susan, who sat across the table from Edmund. The chair at the head of the table was empty, it looked like the Professor wasn't joining them again.

One of the three servants, Ivy, was bringing out the first course, when the double doors at the end of the room suddenly opened. Mrs. Macready stood up immediately. "Children stand up," she said in a sharp tone. Looking at one another in confusion, the children pushed back their chairs and stood up. Rebecca looked around Mrs. Macready's shoulder to see who the latecomer was.

An old man with shaggy white hair and old-fashioned glasses entered the room. It was Professor Kirke. Rebecca thought he looked very wise and gentle and he reminded her a little of Grandpa as he strode around the table. "Good evening children, Mrs. Macready," he said before he sat down at the head of the table. Mrs. Macready then motioned for the children to sit down and dinner resumed.

Lucy stared at the Professor, looking a little nervous, while Edmund, seated to the left of the Professor, looked like he was trying not to laugh and was trying to hide his smile behind his hand until Susan whispered, "No elbows on the table," and then he went quiet. Professor Kirke asked the children how they were enjoying their stay. Peter and Susan politely answered his question while Rebecca said nothing, trying to use proper manners under Mrs. Macready's scrutinizing gaze.

Joy hadn't said a word about her little detour to their room that afternoon, but Rebecca had a pretty good idea where she went: The Wardrobe Room. Joy had believed Lucy, that much was obvious this morning after hide-and-seek, but had Joy tried to go there herself? Rebecca sighed, taking a bite of her potatoes. Why did she have to get stuck being the older sister?

Lucy's story about the wardrobe came back to her and, although she wasn't sure why, a part of her wanted to believe to the story. Rebecca had to admit it made sense to her, but the others didn't believe Lucy, so maybe it was ridiculous. _Still, a magical world?_ She shook her head; a mysterious world which disappeared and reappeared on its own accord and was hidden inside a wardrobe was utterly impossible!

A giggle across the table brought Rebecca out of her thoughts. Lucy and Joy were scribbling back and forth of a napkin, passing a pencil between them. Both girls' eyes were bright with excitement as they scribbled and whispered. Mrs. Macready cleared her throat and Susan asked them a question. Joy quickly pulled the napkin onto her lap while Lucy answered Susan. Rebecca was sorely tempted to get under the table and grab it, but in front of Mrs. Macready and the Pevensies, that wasn't a particularly good idea.

Then, Joy's eyes grew wide and she looked down at her lap, and then her eyes darted to the floor. Rebecca smirked, now was her chance! Rebecca stretched out her foot as far as it would go, until it bumped Joy's. The girls stared at each other, then the kicking started. Joy was constantly knocking her foot away, so Rebecca figured she was close to the napkin. Swinging her foot around, Rebecca dropped it to the ground and caught something. She pulled it back, then, feigning she dropped her napkin, picked up Joy's.

_Did you see Mr. Tumnus?_ That had to be Lucy. _No, but I met a fox who said you're a Queen._ Now that part sounded ridiculous and Rebecca slightly shook her head. She took another bite of food and then returned to the napkin. Joy was talking about the fox and badgers and the White Witch and-

"What are you looking at Rebecca?" The voice made Rebecca almost drop her fork and she hid the napkin on her lap underneath the tablecloth before she looked up at Mrs. Macready.

"I'm sorry I was distracted Mrs. Macready, I was," she paused and glanced at Joy and Lucy, who looked like cornered mice "studying the cloth of the napkin. It's very fine, not what you usually see in Bromley." Mrs. Macready gave her the same no-nonsense look and the others resumed eating. Lucy and Joy sent grateful smiles over at Rebecca, who returned to the napkin. It was covered in scribbles, including a sketch of a lamppost, which were all smudging at the mere brush of a finger so Rebecca carefully turned it over again in her lap.

"Studying the napkin again?" Startled, Rebecca dropped the napkin at the sound of Peter's voice and then picked up her fork.

"No," she said lamely. She risked a glance in his direction and looked away quickly when their eyes met. Why was she acting like this? Looking again, he gave her a disbelieving look, and Rebecca scrambled for an excuse. "Oh, I was just thinking." She took another bite of potatoes and looked up. He was still looking at her. Apparently thinking wasn't the greatest excuse. She forced herself to say "About the book I'm reading currently." She swallowed hard, but at least once he looked back at his own plate so she could think again. Joy giggled from across the table and Rebecca fixed her with a glare.

"What book is it?" Why was he asking her this?

"_A Tale of Two Cities_ by Charles Dickens, he's one of my favourite authors." Rebecca hoped she wasn't blushing, because she knew she had no reason to.

"By the way," he looked back at her, "have you found the library in this house yet?"

"Yes, I have," Rebecca chuckled "it was actually my hiding place today before I heard Lucy shouting. It was the only place I could think of."

He laughed and her heart suddenly picked up its pace. Dismissing it, she was about to ask him how he managed to deal with Edmund all the time when the Professor stood up, and Mrs. Macready made all the children stand up again. The Professor wished all the children goodnight, and then headed for his study no doubt. The children finished up quickly and Mrs. Macready sent all of them up to their rooms. "Goodnight, and don't let me catch you outside of your rooms this time." She fixed Peter and Edmund with a hard stare, then dismissed them all with a wave of her hand.

Rebecca kept the napkin folded up in her hand and as she closed the door, this was her chance to confront Joy about Narnia. "Joy?" Joy pulled the night gown up and over her head until her head poked through the top. Hair in a total mess, she looked over at Rebecca.

"Yes Bec?" Rebecca bit her lips to keep herself from laughing at her sister's messy hair. It was like the mad scientist look you saw in the pictures. Swallowing the giggles, she asked "Where did you go after Susan told you to come up here?"

"I took a little detour if that's alright with you, _Mum_." Joy turned her back to her and Rebecca took a deep breath, let it out, then continued talking.

"Mum told me to look out for you, so don't call me 'Mum', alright? Or I'll start calling you 'Joyce' again. I just want to know if you went to the wardrobe." Joy turned back towards her, trying to appear calm, then Rebecca held up the napkin. "Joy, I know you believed Lucy's story but it's not possible! How can there be a world in the wardrobe one minute and the next minute it's gone?"

"Because I went there myself!" shouted Joy. She threw her house coat down onto the bed. "I went there and I saw the magical wood. I met a Talking Fox who is on the side of Aslan, who is opposed to the Witch and he's the King of the Wood. So, everything Lucy said is true!" Rebecca stared, head spinning, and jaw dropped. Inside, that part of her that wanted to believe the story ran up her throat, ready to burst out of her mouth, but Rebecca swallowed hard instead, common sense must prevail.

Calmly, she said "Joy, I find it hard to believe-"

"But you want to believe it!" Joy was yelling now, looking angry. "You want to believe what's inside the wardrobe, I saw that this morning! But you're scared of what Peter and Susan would think of you!" Rebecca crossed her arms defensively.

"I never said such thing Joy," said Rebecca sternly.

"Lucy went to Narnia," continued Joy "and I went to Narnia, so it's all true." Joy sat down hard on the bed, wriggled under the covers with her back to Rebecca, and pressed her face into the pillow.

Rebecca was tempted to rip the covers off her and ask if it was all true; the faun, the Talking Fox, the forest, but what was the use? Joy wouldn't talk to her now, and then she might tell the others afterwards, including Peter. She quickly reminded herself that Peter's opinion of her did not matter, then changed, turned out the light, lit a candle, and pulled out her notebook again. She tried to finish her sketch of Father in his uniform, and that was the last thing she remembered before falling asleep.

* * *

"Joy! I went back to Narnia! You were right!" The light flashed on in the room. Slowly, Rebecca peeled open her eyes and realized she had fallen asleep without putting her stuff away! Her notebook was open on her lap, the candle was a waxy stub on the nightstand and past it, she squinted as a white-faced Lucy disappeared out of the doorway while dragging Edmund behind her. Joy was out of bed in a flash, pulled on her faded yellow housecoat and ran after her. Rebecca slowly got up, grabbed her own red one and followed her. She saw Lucy and Joy head into the boy's room up ahead, and ran down the hall. "Peter, wake up it's actually really there!" Peter squirmed out from under the blanket, his voice creaking with sleep.

"Lucy, what are you talking about?"

"Narnia, it's all in the wardrobe like I told you!" Susan squeezed past Rebecca and walked to Lucy's side.

"You've just been dreaming Lucy," insisted Susan.

"But I haven't!" Lucy turned sharply towards her. "I saw Mr. Tumnus again, and this time Edmund went too." Everyone turned to Edmund, who looked rather surprised and, in Rebecca's mind, a little nervous.

"You," Peter glanced at Lucy "you saw the faun?" Looking cornered, Edmund shook his head.

"Well," Lucy got up from Peter's side "he didn't actually go there with me. He," Lucy turned around to face him looking confused "what were you doing Edmund?" Joy looked at Rebecca smugly, as if this would prove that Narnia truly existed, and honestly Rebecca hoped to hear more of Narnia. Then Edmund rolled his eyes.

"I was just playing along." Joy's smug grin vanished, and Rebecca sighed with disappointment. "I'm sorry Peter. I shouldn't have encouraged her, but you know what little children are like these days," Lucy's eyes welled up with tears "they just don't know when to stop pretending." Lucy started crying and ran from the room. Joy quickly followed her.

"Lucy!" she called. Susan, Rebecca and Peter ran after her. Rebecca heard an "Ow!" come from the room as they ran down the hallway. Coming out of an alcove, the three older children found Lucy clutching Professor Kirke tightly around the waist, sobbing. Joy was standing off to the side, looking at Lucy with wide, sad eyes. Mrs. Macready thundered into the hallway.

"You children are one shenanigan shy of sleeping in the stable!" Her eyes grew wide when she saw Professor Kirke. "Professor!" she gasped. "I'm sorry, I told them" she glared at the children "that you were not to be disturbed."

"Its alright Mrs. Macready, I'm sure there's an explanation. But in the meantime, I think this one," meaning Lucy "is in need of a little hot chocolate." Mrs. Macready put an arm around Lucy's shoulders.

"Come along dearie," she said. Joy ran around to Lucy's other side.

"I'll go with you Lucy," she said, smiling at her, and then grabbed her hand as the three disappeared around the corner. Rebecca, Peter and Susan turned back to their rooms, and Rebecca stifled a yawn with her sleeve.

"Ahem," the three froze and slowly turned around. The Professor was giving them the look all children knew as the "We're going to have a talk" look. Rebecca hated that look, but reluctantly walked forward. The three followed the Professor into his study, where he sat at a large desk, covered with all sorts of papers and books and knickknacks, and started stuffing tobacco into his pipe.

"You seemed to have upset the delicate internal balance of my housekeeper," he gave all the children the look again, so Rebecca buried her hands into her pockets and looked down at the floorboards. Peter finally spoke up.

"We're very sorry Sir," he grabbed Susan's sleeve and started pulling her away "it won't happen again." Susan pulled her arm free and turned back to the Professor.

"It's our sister Sir, Lucy."

"The weeping girl," said Professor Kirke.

"Yes Sir. She's upset."

"Hence the weeping," he said with a wiry smile.

"It's nothing," Peter looked at Susan "we can handle it."

"Oh, I can see that," said Professor Kirke with a sarcastic tone. Rebecca tried not to smile. Then the Professor looked at her. "And your sister is Lucy's friend?"

"Yes Sir," replied Rebecca.

"Lucy thinks she's found a magical land," said Susan. The Professor smiled again, barely paying attention. "In the upstairs wardrobe." Professor Kirke's head snapped up, the joking gone from his eyes, looking shocked by Susan's revelation. He stood up and ushered the three over to the sitting area.

"What did you say?" he asked.

"Um, the wardrobe upstairs," Peter sat down beside Susan on the couch "Lucy thinks she's found a forest inside."

"She won't stop going on about it," said Susan. Professor Kirke sat down too, Rebecca sat in the arm chair next to his, sinking into the soft cushions.

"What was it like?" he asked.

"Like talking to a lunatic," replied Susan.

"No, no" Professor Kirke shook his head "not her, the forest." All the children's eyes went wide. He believed Lucy's story?!

"You're not saying you believe her?" asked Peter.

"And you don't?" asked the Professor.

"Of course not," said Susan "I mean logically it's impossible."

"What do they teach in schools these days," muttered the Professor to himself. Rebecca started to nod in agreement, then stopped when Susan looked in her direction.

"Edmund said they were only pretending," said Peter.

"And he's usually the more truthful one, is he?"

"No, this would be the first time." Peter looked from Susan to Rebecca.

"My sister Joy said she went there too, to the forest," Rebecca spoke quickly, hoping for no interruptions. Peter and Susan looked even more confused and concerned. Professor Kirke turned to her.

"And do you believe your sister to be truthful?" he asked. Rebecca sighed.

"Not really. But she believes Lucy's story wholeheartedly." She was tempted to add that she now believed the story, but based on the way Susan was looking at her, she stopped talking.

"Well then," the Professor turned back to Peter and Susan seated across from him "if your sisters are not mad, and they're not lying then logically," he pointed his pipe at Susan who frowned "you must assume they're telling the truth." He then lit his pipe.

"You're saying that, we should just believe Lucy?" asked Peter. Professor Kirke put the match out.

"She's your sister, isn't she? You're a family. You might just try acting like one." Rebecca slumped in her seat next to him, now how was she supposed to do that? Joy was furious with her. "Well, why don't you all get to bed and start working on that tomorrow?" He looked over at Rebecca. "Alright children?"

"Yes Sir," Rebecca got up and said "Goodnight," along with the others.

"Goodnight," said the Professor as they made their way to the door. Rebecca then decided to talk to the Professor herself.

"You go on without me," she told the others, then closed the study door. "Professor Kirke?" The Professor was seated at his desk again.

"Yes Rebecca?" Rebecca shoved her hands deep into her pockets, a habit of hers when she was nervous, and searched for the right words to say. "Is this about the napkin?" he prompted, eyes twinkling with laughter.

"You knew the whole time?!" said Rebecca with surprise. He laughed and Rebecca's face went red with embarrassment. "I guess I'm not as good a liar as I thought." Once the Professor stopped laughing, Rebecca spoke again. "Sir, I believe Joy's story, but I don't think my sister will believe me when I tell her," said Rebecca. The Professor put out his pipe.

"Then, I would say, tell her as soon as possible, and make sure that every time she brings up this world in the wardrobe, you listen to her story and don't question a single detail." Rebecca nodded then an odd thought struck her, and Rebecca looked at Professor Kirke again, suddenly very curious.

"Sir," she paused, afraid of how he would take the question "how did you acquire the magical wardrobe?" A light gleamed in his eyes, like he had a huge secret, and Rebecca instinctively stepped closer. "Did you ever go to Narnia yourself?"

"That is a story I'm afraid I cannot tell you now," Rebecca's shoulders fell with disappointment. "But I will tell you one day." He smiled, and Rebecca found herself smiling back. Then she yawned. "I would suggest you get to bed," Rebecca nodded, and yawned again. "Goodnight," he said, and she left the study.

Rebecca slowly entered her room, making sure the door did not squeak. Joy was on the far side of the bed, fast asleep. Rebecca hung up her housecoat and crawled in next to her. She turned her back to Joy and tried to sleep. But thoughts of Narnia, the Professor and that mysterious name Joy mentioned earlier "Aslan" kept on ringing through her head. When she at last got to sleep, she dreamt of a snowy forest, foxes running among the trees and lying in the snow in front of her was a silver blade, which spun around and around until she woke up feeling dizzy.

In the morning, Rebecca's plan to tell Joy that she believed the whole Narnia story fell apart once Joy woke up. Joy refused to talk to her as they got dressed for the day. The sunlight was the only thing brightening up the room, otherwise Joy was as cold as winter. "But Joy," she persisted "I really do believe you and Lucy."

"Sure," said Joy, buttoning up her sweater, refusing to look Rebecca in the eye. "You really believe that Narnia exists," she said in a low voice.

"Yes," Rebecca nodded even though Joy didn't see her "I believe your story." Finally, Joy looked up, and Rebecca sighed. Joy didn't believe her at all.

"You're only saying this so I will talk to you again," Joy marched to the door "well, if you really believe in Narnia, tell the others so." She left the room.

"I guess I can't argue with you there," was all Rebecca said before the door closed.

After a quiet breakfast, with no sign of Professor Kirke again, Peter and Susan decided to try and take the lead on acting like a family. Rebecca didn't know how to bring up Narnia without breaking up the family idea, so she only suggested to Joy that they could join in on their plans. Joy, looking a little sullen, walked over to Lucy and asked if she had found any good books here, and the two went off on their own.

The others decided to play cricket outside on the lawn, and Rebecca joined in. Peter was the bowler, Susan the umpire, and Edmund and Rebecca were the batsmen. Lucy and Joy appeared a little later, by the end of the first inning, and sat nearby under a large tree to read. Peter grabbed the ball and got ready to throw. "Peter winds up," he ran forward "poised to take yet another wicket!" He threw the ball and hit Edmund, who was staring up at the top floor of the house, right on the hip.

"Ow!" cried Edmund. He rubbed the bruise, scowling.

"Whoops," Peter chuckled "wake up Dolly Daydream!" Susan threw the ball back to Peter, and Rebecca stood off to the side so she wouldn't get hit by the bat.

"Why can't we play hide-and-seek again?" Rebecca glanced over her shoulder at Joy and Lucy. Joy was glaring at Edmund and Lucy had that sad look on her face again. Peter tossed the ball from hand to hand as he walked.

"I thought you said it was a kid's game."

"Besides," Susan cut in "we could all use the fresh air."

"It's not like there isn't air inside," retorted Edmund. Susan frowned back at him. Rebecca got the feeling this "acting like a family" idea was not going so well.

"Are you ready?" said Peter as he picked grass off the ball.

"Are you?!" said Edmund. He beat the bat twice on the ground and got ready to swing. Rebecca got ready to catch the ball if it flew out of bounds. Peter wound up and threw. Edmund swung the bat and hit the ball dead on. It went flying up, and right through one of the stained-glass windows on the top floor! Edmund gasped. Everyone heard a crashing sound from the room and froze. Looking over her shoulder, Rebecca saw Joy and Lucy exchanging smiles.


	4. Back Inside the Wardrobe

**Chapter Four**

The children left the cricket equipment on the lawn, ran inside the house and up the stairs to the top floor. After a brief search, Edmund found the ball in one of the libraries, where suits of armor stood in a line beneath the colourful windows and several bookshelves stood facing them on the opposite wall. One of the suits was lying in pieces on the floor, with colourful shards of glass scattered around it, and the cricket ball sat beside it. Rebecca caught up to Peter and Edmund as they looked at the damage. Lucy and Joy were the last ones to enter, and they all stared at the hole in the glass. Then, Peter turned on Edmund. "Well done Ed."

"You bowled it!" countered Edmund.

"What on earth is going on up there?" It was Mrs. Macready downstairs.

"The Macready!" panicked Susan.

"Come on!" Peter led the group out of the room and down the hall. Cutting through a back room, they came out in another hallway and then they heard footsteps coming down the hallway towards them.

"Back! Back! Back!" Edmund pushed them back into the room. The children cut through another room and ran down the hall. Up some stairs to the hall by their rooms, Susan had her hand on the doorknob when they heard the approaching footsteps. Turning around, they ran down another flight of stairs and up some more, yet the footsteps were always coming up either behind them or in front of them and getting closer all the time. Rebecca then took the lead and the children followed her through a room with green wallpaper and only a harp sitting in a corner, before coming out into a vaguely familiar hallway. Going up five steps, they tried the first door in sight. Locked.

Edmund ran to the next knob, turned it, and the children rushed into the wardrobe room. Not bothering to stop, Edmund ran forward and opened the wardrobe door. "Come on!" he told the others.

"You've got to be joking," said Susan quietly.

"Would you rather face the Macready?" asked Rebecca. Then they all heard footsteps in the hallway outside. The children rushed to the wardrobe. Edmund and Rebecca climbed in first, followed by Lucy, Joy, Susan and lastly Peter. Peter held the door open a crack, watching for the Macready, as someone beside Rebecca breathed heavily in her ear, but with her back against the wardrobe wall she couldn't move away from them.

"Get back," whispered Peter urgently. The wardrobe leaped to life with trampling feet and shoving hands. Everyone was grumbling and shouting and moving slowly towards the back of the wardrobe. Someone stepped on Rebecca's foot and she cried out in pain while walking backward amongst the coats. She ran into someone who said, "Would you stop shoving!"

"Ow!" cried Edmund. Rebecca spotted a soft white glow between the coats and bodies and pushed toward it. The wooden floorboards quickly disappeared underneath a thick layer of snow, and a chill hung in the air. Her hands went to push aside the last fur coats, only to push aside two large pine branches, heavy with snow, and she stepped out into Narnia.

"Narnia," she gasped, looking around in awe. A snow-covered forest stood before her, even more beautiful than the wood from her dream. A wave of feelings swept over her and Rebecca fell instantly in love with the beautiful forest. Pale winter sunshine shone down on her as she stepped away from the wardrobe, and Rebecca couldn't stop staring at the snowy surroundings. She instinctively looked down to find the spinning arrow from her dream and saw nothing but snow. The other appeared beside her, looking around in amazement.

"Impossible," said Susan.

"Don't worry," everyone looked at Lucy. "I'm sure it's just your imagination." Joy stood beside Lucy and looked smugly at Rebecca, who ignored it and looked around at the trees again.

"I don't suppose saying we're sorry would quite cover it," said Peter. Rebecca nodded, she should have believed Joy from the start, and looked at Joy, feeling slightly guilty about last night.

"No," Lucy clasped her hands behind her back "it wouldn't." She suddenly threw a snowball at him, hitting Peter directly in the face! Joy tossed one at Rebecca, who successfully dodged. "But that might!" exclaimed Lucy. All the children scrambled for snowballs. Peter threw one and hit Lucy right on the forehead. Rebecca got Joy in the shoulder, who got even with a blow to her chest. The snow soaked through her blouse to her skin and Rebecca started shivering, giving up the game. All the while, Joy and Susan threw snowballs at Edmund, who was staring at two mountains in the distance.

"Ow!" he said, grabbing his shoulder. Peter tossed some snow at Susan and then the fun came to a halt. "Stop it!" Edmund scowled at Susan and Joy. Peter glared at him.

"You little liar!"

"You didn't believe her either!" Peter looked back at Lucy.

"Apologize to Lucy." Lucy and Joy looked at Edmund. Peter walked closer to Edmund. "Say you're sorry!"

"Alright! I'm sorry," said Edmund, scowling at Peter.

"That's alright," said Lucy flippantly "some little children just don't know when to stop pretending." Joy grinned at her friend.

"Very funny," said Edmund quietly, glaring at the two girls.

"Maybe we should go back," said Susan. Peter looked at her with annoyance.

"Susan, we can't go back," protested Rebecca. "We may not get the chance to come here again, especially if the wardrobe is controlled by magic." Joy smiled at Rebecca, eyebrows raised with surprise.

"Shouldn't we at least take a look around?" asked Edmund.

"I think Lucy should decide," said Peter. Lucy's face lit up with excitement.

"I'd like you all to meet Mr. Tumnus!"

"Well then Mr. Tumnus it is." Peter nodded and then headed back to the wardrobe. Susan rubbed her arms, the chill slowly creeping up on everybody.

"Well we can't go hiking in the snow, dressed like this?" Rebecca looked down at her snow-covered shoes and wiggled her cold toes inside, silently agreeing with Susan.

"Well, no," Peter emerged from the wardrobe with an armload of coats "but I'm sure the Professor wouldn't mind us using these." He handed the first one to Lucy, who gasped when her fingers brushed the soft fur. "And anyway, when you think about it, logically," he handed the next one to Susan, who glared at him as she took it "we won't even be taking them out of the wardrobe." He shoved a fluffy grey coat at Edmund, who stepped away looking repulsed.

"But that's a girl's coat," he protested. Peter nodded.

"I know," and he forced Edmund to take the coat. Edmund scowled at Peter's back as he put the coat on. Peter handed a brown/black coat to Joy and the last one, light brown with a touch of gold, to Rebecca.

With the thick fur coat on, Rebecca felt a great deal warmer, and then Lucy led the group towards the lamppost. Once she saw the lamppost, it reminded Rebecca of the lampposts in London, and she couldn't figure out how a lamppost stood in the middle of a forest. What brought it here? Why? She then remembered her conversation with Professor Kirke, and wondered if he knew about the lamppost, or could have possibly brought it here.

"This is where I met the fox," said Joy, walking up beside her. Rebecca tore her eyes away from the lamppost's yellow flame, and her thoughts about Narnia's history, and nodded. "You were really telling me the truth this morning?" asked Joy, and Rebecca nodded.

"Yes, you were right last night about my wanting to believe the story," said Rebecca. "Last night, after you went with Lucy to get some hot chocolate, we talked with the Professor and he believed you and Lucy. I figured if he can believe you, I can too." Joy smiled up at her. "And, I am sorry for not saying so sooner."

"I'm sorry for not accepting your apology earlier," said Joy, and Rebecca felt like everything was back to normal. Well, as normal as it could be while walking through a magical world. Joy ran ahead to walk with Lucy and Rebecca ended up walking between Peter and Susan.

"Did you think it was real?" Peter asked her.

"Yes, I did," said Rebecca, suddenly feeling brave "I wasn't sure at first, but last night after talking with the Professor, I truly did believe Lucy's story." Susan looked very concerned, and Rebecca imagined the word "logically" was probably going through her mind. "What about you two?" she asked them. Susan silently shrugged and walked forward while staring at the woods, leaving Peter to answer the question, who took his time answering.

"I don't know," he said finally, "but I fully believe it now. I think the Professor's belief confused me."

"Honestly, he helped me make up my mind about Narnia," said Rebecca. "And I'm awfully glad to be here now."

The group crested a snowy hill and looked down at a long, rocky valley, and a wind blew some light snow in their faces. Grinning, Peter ran forward, past Rebecca, Susan and Lucy and wiped out flat on his back in the snow. All the girls laughed at him while Edmund sullenly watched. That was when Joy tripped and fell too, and she squealed at the cold snow touching her legs, and Rebecca couldn't stop laughing as she helped her up.

When they came out of the valley and turned to the right, Lucy started describing to the group what Mr. Tumnus was like. Rebecca was half listening, too excited about meet the faun and wondering what to say, when Peter said "Lu?" and Rebecca snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the others.

Ahead of her, the children had stopped walking and Rebecca would have run into Susan if she hadn't stopped in time. She looked past Joy's head and saw a door in the rock ahead of them. At least it used to be a door, now it was broken into bits and half-hanging off the hinges. Lucy gasped and ran forward. "Lucy!" shouted Peter. They all ran after her, into the cave, and Rebecca gasped with shock, and, to her surprise, anger.

* * *

Joy quickly entered the dark cave. Snow blown in from the open door and ashes from the fireplace covered the floor and entrance way. Broken dishes and bits of food lay scattered all over the floor as well, and Joy tried to avoid stepping on the fragments. "Who would do something like this?" asked Lucy sadly.

"The Witch," said Joy with a sour tone. She spotted something on the floor by Edmund's foot and walked over to pick it up. It was a framed portrait of a faun, it must have been Mr. Tumnus' father, with slashes across it from either a knife or claws. Looking up, she saw Rebecca looking around the cave with horror, and she looked somewhat angry.

"How can the Witch get away with this?" asked Rebecca, and she kicked some snow out of the doorway. Peter pulled a piece of parchment down from where it had been nailed to the wall and started reading.

"'The faun Tumnus is hereby charged with high treason'," Peter looked at Susan warily "'against her Imperial Majesty, Jadis, Queen of Narnia, for comforting her enemies and fraternizing with humans. Signed Maugrim, Captain of the Secret Police.'" Peter looked up from the parchment. "'Long Live the Queen.'" Susan grabbed the parchment from him and glanced it over.

"Alright, now we really should go back," said Susan to Peter.

"No," insisted Rebecca, and Joy was surprised at the conviction in her voice.

"What about Mr. Tumnus?" asked Lucy.

"If he was arrested just for being with a human," said Susan, trying to be gentle _and_ logical "I don't think there's much we can do." Joy frowned.

"You don't understand, do you?" Everyone looked at Lucy. "I'm the human." A confused look came over her face. "She must have found out he helped me." To her left, Edmund suddenly dropped his head, staring at the floor, and Joy got a funny feeling in her stomach.

"Maybe we should call the police," said Peter.

"These are the police, said Susan holding out the parchment. Peter bent down to Lucy's level.

"Don't worry Lu, we'll think of something."

"Of course, we will," said Rebecca, coming up on the other side of Susan.

"Why?" Edmund got the attention of the others. The funny feeling in Joy's stomach wouldn't go away, and she continued to stare at him with suspicion. "I mean, he's a criminal."

"A criminal according to the Witch, but not to us," Joy pointed out and Edmund glared at her. Outside a bird was singing its song, and then a _psst_ came from beyond the door. All the children froze and turned their heads towards the sound.

"Did that bird just _psst_ us?" Peter moved past Susan and towards the door, the others quickly followed him. Once outside, the bird flew away, but the noise continued. A rustling sound moved from snow bank to snow bank in front of them, and it made everyone nervous. Joy grabbed hold of Rebecca's sleeve who was holding onto Peter's. On his other side, Susan grabbed his shoulder and Lucy was holding onto Susan's sleeve. The noise came closer, and closer, and then a beaver appeared from behind one of the snowbanks. Everyone relaxed the grip on each other, what harm could a beaver cause to six children?

"It's a beaver," said Lucy. Joy moved around Rebecca's shoulder and hoped it was a Talking Beaver.

"Hello," she said, but the beaver made no answer, looking up at the Pevensies and sniffing the air. Peter held out his hand and walked slowly towards it.

"Here boy, tsk, tsk, tsk, here boy!" He grew closer to the beaver, when the beaver suddenly said, "I ain't gonna smell it if that's what you want." Lucy and Joy broke out in giggles, Susan stared wide-eyed and Rebecca watched the beaver with curiosity. Edmund was just plain shocked. Peter sheepishly withdrew his hand.

"Oh, sorry," he said. The beaver turned his attention to Lucy.

"Lucy Pevensie." Lucy stopped laughing and came forward.

"Yes?" The beaver held out a piece of cloth, which he handed to Lucy. "Hey that's the hanky I gave to Mr."

"Tumnus." The beaver interrupted her. "He got it to me just before they took him."

"Is he alright?" asked Lucy. The beaver waddled backward on his hind legs.

"Further in," he said softly, then turned and ran up and over a snow bank. Peter, Lucy, Rebecca and Joy instantly followed, but Susan grabbed Peter's arm and held him back.

"What are you doing?!" she asked.

"She's right," said Edmund "how do we know we can trust him?" Peter shrugged.

"He said he knows the faun." Susan looked at Peter like he was stupid.

"He's a beaver, he shouldn't be saying anything!"

"They have talking animals here in Narnia," explained Joy "I met three of them when I was last here." Edmund mouthed her words, making fun of her, and Joy made a face back at him.

"Everything alright?" The beaver's head popped up over the snowbank.

"Yes," said Peter "we were just talking." The beaver glanced around quickly.

"That's better left for safe quarters," he whispered, then dove behind the snowbank. Lucy looked around.

"He means the trees," said Lucy, and Joy nodded, remembering what Mr. Fox told her. Peter looked at the others, sighed with frustration and followed the beaver. Lucy and Peter followed directly behind him, Joy and Rebecca in the middle and Susan and Edmund brought up the rear.

Mr. Beaver led them through the woods at a rather quick pace, like he was trying not to be seen, and the children struggled to keep him in sight. Despite being such a small animal, he could run very fast, and he looked back every so often to make sure the children were still behind him. Eventually, they came out of the thick wood and approached a number of rocks that looked more like short pointy mountains which towered over the children's heads.

"Come on," said Mr. Beaver "we don't want to be caught out here after nightfall." They walked through a narrow pass between the rocks, and a long while later, came out at the top of a valley, and found they were looking down on a beaver's dam. There was a little raised area in the middle of the dam, like a beehive, where you could see two lighted windows and a ribbon of smoke coming from the chimney. "Oh blimey! Looks like the old girl' has got the kettle on, nice cup o' Rosy Lee?"

"It's lovely," said Lucy. The other nodded in agreement.

"Oh, it's merely a trifle," said Mr. Beaver, but you could tell he was proud of it "still plenty to do. I ain't quite finished it yet." He led them down the slope to the dam and through the trees. As they approached the dam, a loud voice came from the front door.

"Beaver? Is that you? I've been worried sick!" Another beaver came into view as they rounded the corner. "If I find you've been out with Badger again, oh!" She immediately stopped her scolding and clasped her paws together with excitement as she took in the group of children.

"Oh, well those aren't badgers. I never thought I'd live to see this day!" She waddled forward and the children smiled at her. Joy said, "Pleasure to meet you," which made Mr. Beaver laugh. Mrs. Beaver then looked down, fluffed her fur and then looked at Mr. Beaver. "You forgot my fur, you couldn't give me ten minutes warning." Mr. Beaver shrugged.

"I'd have given you a week if I thought it would've helped." The children laughed at Mr. Beaver, and Mrs. Beaver waved her paws to get them to stop laughing.

"Well, come inside and see if we can't get you some food, and some civilized," she looked at Mr. Beaver "company." She waddled off to the front door and all the girls ran in after her. Mrs. Beaver led them through a tunnel, showed them wear to hang up their coats and then they went into the main room.

In Joy's opinion it reminded her of the Badger's home, only these walls were made of branches and logs twisted together. Also, the Beavers had an upstairs loft and there was a door which seemed to lead to no where off to the side of the kitchen area, unless the Beavers had a cellar. There were lanterns placed around the room, a candle chandelier hanging over the table and a roaring fire on the hearth, which made the whole place feel warm and cozy.

The Beavers pulled up all the little stools and chairs they could find and tried to fit them all around the table. Still, Edmund decided to sit on the stairs while Joy sat by the fire to warm her cold legs and feet. The others all wanted tea, and Lucy mentioned she was hungry, so Mrs. Beaver got busy in the kitchen. Rebecca and Susan helped her, and Susan was just bringing the tea pot over to the table when Peter asked the important question.

"Isn't there anything we can do to help Tumnus?" Rebecca brought a plate of toast in one hand and jam and honey jars in the other, which she placed on the table and then sat down between Peter and Lucy.

"They'll take him to the Witch's house," said Mr. Beaver, waving his mug while he talked "and you know what they say, there's few who go in those gates that come out again. Most are turned into stone statues by the Witch's wand." Joy again remembered what Mr. Fox said, and felt a slight chill settle over her shoulders.

"Fish and chips!" Mrs. Beaver chuckled nervously as she set a plate down in front of Lucy. From what Joy had seen while Mrs. Beaver was cooking, it did not look appetizing. "But there's hope dear," Mrs. Beaver touched Lucy's shoulder then looked back at Mr. Beaver "lots of hope." Mr. Beaver spit a mouthful of tea back into his mug.

"Oh yeah, there's a right bit more than hope!" He leaned forward. "Aslan is on the move." That same feeling of excitement and adventure swept over Joy and she stood up so she could hear more of the conversation. Edmund came forward too, only his expression was one of horror.

"Who's Aslan?" he asked. Mr. Beaver burst out laughing, and all the children stared at him.

"Who's Aslan! You cheeky little blighter." Mrs. Beaver nudged him in the shoulder, and he stopped laughing. "What?" he asked, and she gestured to the children. After looking at their faces he said, "You don't know, do you?"

"Well, we haven't exactly been here very long," said Peter. Joy opened her mouth to speak but Mr. Beaver beat her to it.

"He's only the King of the whole wood. The top geezer?" Joy nodded, but the beaver looked at the Pevensie's faces, hoping for any sign of recognition. "The real King of Narnia," he prompted. Rebecca looked at Joy standing behind her and nodded, and Joy was happy Rebecca remembered what she said last night. Edmund shook his head and walked back to the stairs.

"He's been away for a long while," said Mrs. Beaver.

"And he just got back!" said Mr. Beaver excitedly. "And he's waiting for you at the Stone Table!" At that moment, Joy noticed the door on the tunnel which led to the outside was open, and Edmund was no where in sight. The others were so wrapped up in what Mr. Beaver was saying about Aslan that they hadn't noticed he was missing. So, she rushed across the room and softly closed the door behind her, eager to get him in trouble. She walked through the tunnel and pushed the second door open.

Night was falling and Joy found it hard to see with the clouds covering the moon. After looking around at all the shadows, she finally spotted Edmund, climbing the slope just at the edge of the trees. "Edmund?" She stepped out of the door. He turned around sharply, looking slightly guilty, and jogged down the hill towards her.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, quickly pulling the door closed.

"What are _you_ doing out here Edmund?" She crossed her arms to appear suspicious, but in reality, she was cold.

"I," he looked at the door again nervously "I'm going to visit the Queen of Narnia."

"Edmund!" He shushed her and told her to keep quiet. "Don't you know that she's a Witch, and not a Queen?" she whispered, and placed her hand on the doorknob. "I'm going to tell Peter."

"No!" he stopped her. "Come with me and I'll show you that she's good. All that bad stuff you've heard about her is made up!" Joy didn't believe him.

"How do you know that Edmund?" she asked.

"I met her in the woods yesterday," he said, "and she was very nice to me." He stood a little taller. "She wants to make me a Prince of Narnia, and later on, the King." He grinned smugly, but Joy didn't like the look on his face, and that strange feeling from earlier returned to her stomach.

"Why would she do that?" asked Joy.

"Because she's a nice person," he crossed his arms "and you can't always believe what talking animals say."

"You're wrong," said Joy defensively. "I believe them."

"But they're wrong!" shouted Edmund, while trying to keep his voice down at the same time.

"But she's evil!" said Joy.

"No, she's not, she was kind to me," he paused "and she has the best Turkish Delight you've ever tasted," said Edmund, and Joy's sweet tooth instantly perked up, causing the odd feeling in her stomach to disappear.

"Turkish Delight?" she asked. Turkish Delight sure sounded good right now. "It was really good?" she asked, feeling slightly curious.

"Even better than the stuff they sell at Christmas," said Edmund, and Joy's stomach grumbled. He started walking away from the door and Joy followed him, suddenly hungry for Turkish Delight. "Come on, let's go before the others hear about it."

"But, are you sure?" asked Joy. Meeting the Witch, or Queen, face to face and asking her for the delicious sweet made Joy feel a little nervous.

"What? Are you scared?" asked Edmund, stopping at the foot of the slope, challenging her with a look. Joy grit her teeth and said "No," glaring at him. He started walking up the hill and Joy, after a brief glance back at the Beaver's door, decided to give in.

"I am not scared of the White Witch," said Joy, marching after him. The two headed further away from the dam and into the trees. He pointed up at two mountains in the distance, beyond the second wooded slope in front of them.

"Her house is between those two hills," he said.

"Mountains, Edmund" corrected Joy.

"She called them hills," retorted Edmund, and Joy rolled her eyes. They slogged up the second hill through the snow, which was growing deeper the higher up they went, and Joy's feet were starting to freeze inside her shoes. The Beaver's dam quickly disappeared among the trees behind them, and an icy wind blew off the mountains in front of them. "I wish I hadn't left my coat behind," she grumbled through her chattering teeth, watching the icy fumes rise in front of her face.

"It isn't that far Joy, hurry up," said Edmund, and the two headed further up and into the mountains.


	5. The Witch's House

**Hello readers! So sorry for this gap in the updates, life got busy and I shamefully neglected my writing. I know this is a re-post of Chapter Five, but please read it again! I went very hardcore with original material, only to take a lot out so as to keep with the original feel of the story. But some of it remains, and I hope you enjoy it. I will do my best to keep up with faithful updates again, and I especially thank "Treehugger00" for their patience with me. See you at the next chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Back inside the Beaver's dam, Rebecca hadn't realized that Joy had left the room. She was still wrapped up in the feeling that came over her when Mr. Beaver said Aslan's name. The best way she could describe it was to say someone had wrapped a warm blanket around her shoulders and given her a sense of adventure all at the same time. And when Mr. Beaver said Aslan was waiting for them at the Stone Table, Rebecca wanted to jump to her feet and say, "Let's go!" But when she looked around at the others, it was clear they did not feel the same way.

"He's waiting for us?!" asked Lucy, seated beside her.

"You're blooming joking!" said Mr. Beaver exasperatedly. He turned to Mrs. Beaver. "They don't even know about the prophecy!"

"Well, then!" said Mrs. Beaver and she gestured to the children.

"What prophecy?" asked Rebecca. Was there a reason they were all here in Narnia, which had been foretold in Narnia's history?

"Look," said Mr. Beaver "Aslan's return, Tumnus' arrest and the secret police," Mr. Beaver paused "its all happening because of you!" He pointed at the group. Rebecca frowned at the beaver.

"You're blaming us," said Susan indignantly.

"No! Not blaming," said Mrs. Beaver "thanking you."

"There's a prophecy," said Mr. Beaver "_When Adam's flesh and Adam's bone, sits at Cair Paravel in throne, the evil time will be over and done_."

"You know that doesn't really rhyme," said Susan. Mr. Beaver grumbled under his breath.

"You're kind of missing the point!" said Mr. Beaver.

"What does it mean?" asked Rebecca, resting her forearms on the table. She figured that Cair Paravel was a palace or castle and the "evil time" must be referring to the White Witch's reign, but the wording sounded odd to her. Mrs. Beaver placed a calming hand on Mr. Beaver's shoulder and spoke.

"It has long been foretold that two Sons of Adam" she pointed at Peter, "and two Daughters of Eve" she pointed at Susan and Lucy "will defeat the White Witch and restore peace to Narnia." The Beavers smiled at the children. So that was what Joy had meant by Lucy being a Queen, but why were there only two Queens?

"What about my sister and I?" asked Rebecca. Mr. Beaver looked at her and shrugged, not like he did not care but like he did not know. Rebecca took little comfort in that though.

"I have no idea," he said, "the prophecy does not call for two more Daughters of Eve."

"Then why are Joy and I here in Narnia?" persisted Rebecca.

"We don't know," said Mrs. Beaver "all we have ever been told is two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve which has been said in Narnia time out of mind." Rebecca felt strangely disappointed, like she had no purpose and could do nothing in this beautiful country.

"And you think we're the ones for this prophecy?" asked Peter, and Rebecca turned her attention to the tablecloth before her. Mr. Beaver stood up.

"Well, you'd better be cause Aslan's already figured out your army!" said the beaver.

"Our army?!" exclaimed Lucy. She looked past Rebecca to Peter and Susan. Rebecca could not say where it came from, but she had a feeling that fighting the Witch may be the only way to free Narnia.

"Mum sent us away so we wouldn't get caught up in a war," said Susan to Peter, who looked back at Mr. Beaver.

"I think you've made a mistake," said Peter "we're not heroes!"

"We're from Finchley," said Susan. The Beavers' looked at each other, confused.

"Being from Finchley doesn't really matter in a situation like this," said Rebecca as she stood up. "Why can't we fight for Narnia and Aslan and fulfill the prophecy?" None of the Pevensies said a word but Susan shook her head and stood up.

"Thank you for your hospitality," said Susan to the Beavers "but we really have to go."

"No," said Rebecca firmly, but it didn't do any good. Peter stood up as well, agreeing with Susan.

"You can't just leave!" protested Mr. Beaver. Rebecca turned around, expecting to see Joy standing nearby or sitting by the fireplace.

"He's right," said Lucy, who was still seated "we have to help Mr. Tumnus."

"Where's Joy?" asked Rebecca, and the Pevensies all looked at her. Peter and Susan turned around and were surprised to see no Edmund sitting on the stairs.

"Ed?" asked Peter. He looked towards the kitchen. No Edmund.

"Joy?" asked Rebecca as she looked around the dam again. Still no sign of Joy.

"Let's check outside," said Peter, and he, Susan and Rebecca ran out the door leading to the outside while Lucy and Mrs. Beaver ran up the stairs to check the loft.

"Edmund!" called Peter.

"Edmund!" called Susan.

"Joy!" called Rebecca. No one responded, only their voices bounced off the snow and got lost in the chilly wind. They all quickly noticed the snowy footprints, and how they led off towards the two mountains in the distance. "Hold on, that's what Edmund had been staring at earlier today," said Rebecca.

"Why would Edmund go off and not tell anyone where he went?" asked Susan. Rebecca defeatedly shrugged.

"And it looks like Joy went with him," she said.

"I'm gonna kill him," said Peter angrily. Rebecca didn't want to admit it, but she felt the same way. How dare Edmund talk Joy into leaving the dam and climbing a strange mountain as night was falling in a strange world? Guilt gnawed at Rebecca's stomach as she tried to think of when Joy had left, was it in the last few minutes? Or had she left a while ago and Rebecca had not noticed? Had Joy even taken her coat? She rushed back towards the door to check the coat rack, when it opened, and Mr. Beaver stood in the doorway.

"You may not have to kill him," he said. Rebecca glanced nervously at him, his tone was so solemn it scared her. "Has Edmund ever been in Narnia before?" asked Mr. Beaver to Peter and Susan.

"Yes, I'm afraid he has Mr. Beaver," said Lucy, who had appeared behind him.

"And, your sister?" asked Mr. Beaver, looking up at Rebecca. She slowly nodded, not sure what the question meant.

"What are you saying Mr. Beaver?" she asked him, and Mr. Beaver gave her and Peter a grave look.

"I'm afraid your brother and sister sneaked off to see the White Witch," he said, and Rebecca shook her head.

"No, not Joy. She hated the Witch!" And Edmund, Rebecca silently added.

"She's gone girl!" Mr. Beaver gestured to the footprints. "Do you see her here?" Rebecca knew Joy wasn't there, but she could not figure it out. Joy was against the Witch, she would not run off to see her, especially with Edmund. Rebecca looked anxiously from Lucy to Peter, who looked equally worried.

"I didn't want to say it before since he is your brother and all," said Mr. Beaver to Peter and Susan "but the moment I saw him, I knew he had met the Witch and eaten some of her food. Something about the eyes," he said. Rebecca had to admit that something had been off about Edmund since last night. "He must have convinced your sister to go with him," finished Mr. Beaver, looking up at Rebecca again.

"But," Rebecca hesitated "why would he do that?" she asked. The Pevensies all looked confused and none of them said a word. Finally, Peter spoke up.

"We need to catch them before they end up in the Witch's house," he said.

"You're right Son of Adam," said Mr. Beaver and waddled to the side of the doorway. Rebecca instantly ran past him and reached the coat rack at the same time as Lucy. To her dismay, she noticed Joy's coat was still hanging on the rack and felt another rush of anger towards Edmund. The children all bundled up in their coats and headed outside again.

"Is that the direction of the Witch's house?" asked Rebecca, pointing at the footprints.

"Yes, come on!" said Mr. Beaver. He bounded forward and led the children up the slope.

* * *

"Edmund?" asked Joy breathlessly. "Are you sure you know where you're going?"

"It's right here, the two hills," said Edmund, walking through the snow beside her.

"Mountains," huffed Joy, but Edmund didn't hear her. They were slogging up a steep, tree-covered slope, and Edmund decided to stop so they could catch their breath. Joy immediately stopped, winded and tired. When she looked over at him, she noticed Edmund was looking down the slope behind them. "Do you want to turn back?" she asked. Edmund hesitated, then shook his head.

"No," he said, then continued walking forward. Joy was briefly tempted to turn back for a third time, not even Turkish Delight would stop her from doing so, when Edmund called down to her from the top of the slope. "It's right here!" he said, and she slowly trudged up to where he stood.

A large snowy valley spread out before the children. Across from them, rising against the blackness of the two mountains behind it, stood the Witch's house. It was more like a castle than a house, with narrow pointy towers, a thick outer wall and a massive gate which were all made entirely out of ice. Joy's jaw dropped at the sight. She couldn't make up her mind on whether the castle looked beautiful or terrible. Or maybe it was a combination of both.

"Wow," said Edmund, grinning as he stepped out of the trees.

"Edmund are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Joy, but he didn't hear her. He was too busy rushing across the snow towards the castle. Joy slogged after him, trying to step in his footprints to make the going a little easier for her frozen feet. But he was running across the snow and she quickly gave up the idea and ran after him. She caught up to him by the time he reached the gates.

They towered over the children's heads and were made of a pale blue ice which seemed to be glowing from within. Joy's brave face, and her hunger for Turkish Delight, faded away as she stared up at them. No guards could be seen from the top of the wall, but Joy still felt like she was being watched. Edmund marched up to the gates and they slowly opened on their own accord. "I wonder if the Witch was expecting us," whispered Joy fearfully.

"She's a Queen Joy," said Edmund shortly. He walked through the open gates.

"Edmund!" The shout came from the woods behind them. Joy turned sharply around and saw five figures standing at the edge of the trees: Peter, Susan, Mr. Beaver, Rebecca and Lucy. Joy looked back at the gates, which were starting to close.

"Edmund, I'm not sure about this." She pointed to the others. "I think we should," Edmund grabbed her hand, cutting off her words. She heard someone shouting her name, it sounded like Rebecca.

"Come on!" said Edmund, and he pulled her through the gates right as they closed, blocking Joy's view of their siblings outside. Looking past him, Joy gasped, and he turned around. They were standing in the most peculiar courtyard.

* * *

Rebecca and the others ran out of the woods and spotted two figures, black against the blue ice, and knew at once it was Edmund and Joy. "Are we too late?" whispered Rebecca, looking over at Mr. Beaver. He solemnly looked up at Peter instead.

"Edmund!" shouted Lucy.

"Joy!" shouted Rebecca.

"Shush, they'll hear ya!" said Mr. Beaver. Peter and Rebecca ran forward. "No!" shouted Mr. Beaver behind them. Rebecca looked back and saw Mr. Beaver holding Peter's hand between his paws.

"Get off me!" Peter shook the beaver free and Rebecca stopped running.

"You're playing into her hands!" said the beaver frantically. Rebecca pushed forward, determined to stop Joy from entering the gate. "Stop her before she gives us away!" shouted Mr. Beaver. Footsteps pounded in the snow behind her before a hand grabbed her arm and spun her around, throwing Rebecca off balance. Peter grabbed her shoulders.

"Stop, Rebecca!" he shouted. Rebecca tried to break free and stepped on his foot. Peter winced with pain but refused to let go.

"Let me go," said Rebecca through her teeth.

"There's no point," said Peter. Once she stopped struggling, he let go of her shoulders. Rebecca stared at the castle to her left, studying at the icy towers and walls. What had Edmund said to change Joy's mind about the Witch? Rebecca felt a rush of tears and looked away from the castle. "Let's go back," he said. He and Rebecca quickly stumbled back to the others.

"We can't just let him go," said Susan as the two reached the group.

"He's our brother!" exclaimed Lucy.

"And my sister," said Rebecca as she forced the tears back.

"He's the bait, don't you see?" said Mr. Beaver. "The Witch wants all four of you!" Not her and Joy. Rebecca felt slightly relieved, but that still did not mean Joy was safe.

"Why?" asked Peter. Rebecca forced herself to look back at the castle and saw Joy look in their direction.

"It's to stop the prophecy from coming true," Mr. Beaver looked around at the Pevensies "to kill you!" Realization hung over everyone's shoulders, and they watched helplessly as the gates closed on Edmund and Joy. Rebecca's first thought was Mum's words to her on the platform before they left for Professor Kirke's house. She had told Rebecca to look after Joy and keep her out of trouble.

"Mum, I'm sorry," whispered Rebecca. Amid her thoughts of failure, Rebecca suddenly remembered Aslan. If they headed to the Stone Table, maybe Aslan would help them by storming the castle to free their siblings and Mr. Tumnus, and then they could make the prophecy come true. She quickly turned and looked at the others.

"Let's go to Aslan's Camp," she said. Lucy nodded but Susan ignored her and glared at Peter instead.

"This is all your fault," she said angrily. Peter spun around, looking angry. Rebecca glared at Susan as well.

"My fault?!" asked Peter indignantly.

"None of this would have happened if you had just listened to me in the first place!" shouted Susan. Rebecca rolled her eyes.

"Oh, so you knew this would happen," argued Peter.

"I didn't know what would happen," said Susan defensively "which is why we should have left when we still could!"

"Stop it!" shouted Lucy. They all looked at Lucy. "This isn't going to help Edmund," she looked at Rebecca "or Joy."

"She's right," said Mr. Beaver "Only Aslan can help your brother now." Rebecca opened her mouth to remind the beaver, but then he said, "And your sister." Rebecca nodded, and looked at Peter.

"Let's go," she said. Looking resigned, Peter's shoulders slumped.

"Alright, take us to him," he said to Mr. Beaver. All the children took one last look at the castle before heading back into the woods.

* * *

Edmund let go of Joy's hand, wiped it on his shirt, and walked forward. Joy was frozen with fear, tempted to run out of the gates and catch up with the others. But as she looked up at the gates, the enormity of them caught up to her and she slowly followed Edmund.

Across the courtyard, dotted in no kind of order, were dozens and dozens of stone statues, no doubt made by the Witch's wand. The two were startled by the huge stone giant which towered over their heads and had icicles hanging from his fingertips. There were stone fauns, centaurs, and varying sorts of animals. Joy noticed some statues which looked like women, some seemed to be made of stone leaves and others had the appearance of water. Some of the statues carried weapons and wore armour and seemed to be in the middle of attacking or fighting, while others cowered like they were waiting for a savage blow that never came.

Joy was turning away from an angry-looking stone rabbit when she spotted Edmund drawing on a stone lioness' face. "What are you doing?!" she whisper-yelled. She weaved through the statues towards him.

"It's alright, it's stone," said Edmund when Joy reached him, and he smiled at his workmanship: a curly mustache and a pair of round spectacles.

"But what happens when it comes back to life?" asked Joy, and Edmund huffed.

"It's not coming back to life, it's been turned to stone," he said, and dropped his drawing pencil before continuing to walk across the courtyard. Joy shivered and followed him.

Edmund walked to the threshold of the castle, where up some steps lay a stone wolf which was covered with a fresh blanket of snow. At least Joy thought it was stone, but as she grew closer, she noticed its nostrils were twitching. "Edmund," she tried to warn him, but it was too late. He stepped over the wolf, and it sprang to life! Joy screamed and took off running for the gates.

"Joy!" shouted Edmund behind her, and Joy heard something panting and running after her. She looked over her shoulder and saw a different wolf chasing her. Panic set in and she ran with all her might. She reached the gates and pounded her fists against the ice.

"Let me out!" she shouted. Then, something grabbed the back of her sweater and pulled her back. Joy heard the sweater rip and she fell backwards onto the snow-covered floor of the courtyard. She barely had a chance to draw a shallow breath before the wolf jumped on top of her!

"Let me go, please!" she wheezed, for the wolf was very heavy.

"How dare you enter the Queen's house without permission!" said the wolf, who accented his words with a growl.

"I only came with him," Joy pulled out her arm which had been crushed against her chest and pointed at Edmund, "I assumed he had permission," she said.

"You just wait Daughter of Eve," said the wolf.

"No" whispered Joy as she tried to push the wolf off her, but the wolf never budged. It growled with its muzzle inches from her face and Joy gave up. She bit her lips and turned her head to watch Edmund with the other wolf. Time seemed to drag on, and still the wolf did not let her get up. Finally, the first wolf climbed off Edmund and looked in Joy's direction.

"Bring the Daughter of Eve," it said, then started pushing Edmund towards the open doorway with his nose. Joy's wolf, whom she had nicknamed "Crusher" in her mind, climbed off her and Joy slowly and shakily got to her feet. The wolf prodded her forward with his wet, black nose and Joy crossed the courtyard again. She climbed up the steps and stood beside Edmund.

"Come in fortunate favourites of the Queen," said Edmund's wolf. It started walking away. "Or else, not so fortunate." A growl behind them moved the children forward, and Joy looked over her shoulder to see Crusher following them.

The wolf led them into a large open room where an icy staircase stretched up to the second level of the castle. Not slackening its pace, he climbed up the steps and Joy struggled to keep up with him and Edmund on her shaky legs. They reached the top and turned to the left where a great set of ice doors stood open, beckoning to them. Joy would have stopped to admire them, but the wolf went on ahead and they entered a large rectangular room, which Joy thought must be the Great Hall.

Pillars of ice lined the hall, with little sets of steps leading off to other hallways and doors which could be seen between them. At the end of the hall and on top of the dais sat a great throne which was carved out of ice with jagged points stretching towards the ceiling. Joy could see a black design carved into the ice and a soft-looking, white fur robe resting over the seat. The wolf stopped at the bottom of the steps. "Wait here," it said, then it walked away. Crusher followed it, with a sneer directed at the children that gave them a glimpse of his sharp teeth. The two wolves walked around a pillar, up some steps and then disappeared behind the throne.

One they were out of sight, Joy turned to Edmund. "Edmund, now is our chance. Let's get out of here!" He glared at her like she was crazy.

"No," he said, and looked quickly about the room. He started climbing up the steps towards the throne.

"Edmund!" gasped Joy. A soft growl behind her made Joy turn around, but she saw no wolves and looked back just in time to see Edmund sit down on the icy throne. A wicked grin broke out upon his face, and Joy grew nervous.

A tall, beautiful woman suddenly appeared from behind the throne. She was wearing a dress made of some thick material with a white fur collar which went up to her throat, and she had an icicle crown on her head. She also carried a scepter made of ice, and Joy realized with horror it was the wand and this woman was the White Witch. Standing to the left of the Witch was a dwarf with a long grey beard, a red woolen cap, pointy shoes and was wearing a thick coat with fur lining. Joy raised her hand to get Edmund's attention, but one look from the Witch made Joy drop her hand down to her side again. The Witch came up beside the throne and rested her hand at the top of one of the points, right above Edmund's head.

"Like it?" she asked with a cold voice. Edmund jumped to his feet, suddenly fearful.

"Yes," he stammered "Your Majesty." The Witch circled around in front of him, staring into his face.

"I thought you might," she said. She sat down on the throne and switched her wand from her right to her left. "Tell me Edmund," she pointed at Joy with the wand "which sister is this?"

"Oh, Joy is not my sister," said Edmund "she is my friend." Joy wanted to ask when she and Edmund had become friends over the last couple of days, but with the Witch staring at her she decided to say nothing.

"Oh, I see" said the Witch, looking incredibly calm. "Then are your sisters deaf?"

"No," said Edmund uncertainly.

"And your brother," said the Witch "is he" she paused like she was searching for the right word "unintelligent?"

"Well I think so," said Edmund, and Joy rolled her eyes. "But Mum said," the Witch surged to her feet, cutting off Edmund's words.

"Then how dare you come alone!" she shouted. She advanced forward and Edmund started backing down the steps towards Joy.

"I tried!" he protested.

"Edmund, I asked so little of you," said the Witch and her eyes grew narrow.

"They just don't listen to me," whimpered Edmund, reaching the bottom of the steps.

"Couldn't even do that," said the Witch, her tone menacing.

"Well, I did bring them halfway," said Edmund "they're at the little house at the dam with the Beavers." The Witch stopped, and Joy watched her fingers twitch against the skirt of her dress.

"And you," came the Witch's voice, and Joy looked up into her face, knees shaking. "Do you have any siblings in Narnia?" asked the Witch.

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Joy "my sister." The Witch turned and looked at the dwarf who was still standing on top of the dais. He shrugged and the Witch looked back at Joy.

"Well," said the Witch "I suppose you're not a total loss then," she looked pointedly at Edmund "are you?" The Witch walked up the steps towards the throne again.

"I, I was wondering," said Edmund, following her up the steps "could I have some Turkish Delight now?" The Witch looked from Edmund to the dwarf.

"Our guests are hungry," she said, then sat down on the throne. The dwarf nodded and positioned himself beside Edmund.

"Come up here Daughter of Eve," Joy heard the mockery in his tone but did as he said. Once she reached the top, the dwarf pointed down the hallway leading off the dais in front of them. "This way," he said, "for your num-nums." He drew two knives out of his belt, pressed the edges of the blades into their backs and marched them forward.

"Your Majesty?!" Joy called over her shoulder. The blade pressed deeper into her back and she gasped with pain.

"Don't bother the Queen," said the dwarf in a jeering tone.

"Maugrim? Maros?" said the Witch behind them. The dwarf stopped the children at the edge of the dais and allowed them to watch. The wolves who had met the children on the steps outside appeared to the right of the Witch's throne. "You know what to do," she said in a low voice. Edmund's wolf took a deep breath, raised its head and howled.

The sound raised the hair on the back of Joy's neck, and the sight that followed nearly stopped her heart with fear. Wolves, appearing here and there throughout the hall. She and Edmund had walked by them when they approached the dais earlier, not realizing they were there! The wolves were growling and laughing, and Joy realized what they were going to do.

"No!" she shouted. The dwarf raised the knife around her shoulder to her throat, silencing her. The wolves charged! The sound of claws scraping on ice filled the hall as they ran out the door and down the stairs, Maugrim and Maros at the back of the pack. Chuckling to himself, the dwarf brought the knife around to Joy's back again and pushed the children forward once the wolves were out of sight.

He opened the door at the end of the hall and forced them to walk down a spiraling staircase. Joy tried to ease the sharp edge in her back by walking faster than the dwarf, but the dwarf would always match her pace. At the bottom of the stairs, the children saw a maze of short hallways, all with iron grates acting as double doors. They were in the dungeon.

The dwarf pushed the children towards one cell which had a cold, blue light outside the door. Beneath the light stood a large monster with a huge mouth. "Put these two in with the other traitor," said the dwarf before walking away. The monster unlocked the door with a key on a metal ring which was attached to the rope belt around his waist, and the doors creaked as they slowly swung open. It then grabbed two pair of shackles which were hanging on a hook driven into the icy wall and picked up a large mallet resting against the wall.

"Get in there," said the monster in a deep, raspy voice. When neither of the children moved, it forcefully pushed the children inside, making them stumble down the steps and fall onto the icy floor. Using the mallet and some nails, he fastened the shackles around the children's ankles and then attached them to two heavy chains which disappeared into the icy floor.

Once he finished, the dwarf returned and gave each of the children a crust of bread on a tin plate and a mug of water. "Here's your Turkish Delight, Prince," jeered the dwarf. He stepped closer to Edmund. "Her Majesty thought you'd like the company," he nodded to Joy who scowled and moved away from Edmund as far as the chain would allow her. The dwarf laughed again and left the cell. Joy heard the key twist in the lock and the footsteps fade away. She finally dared to speak.

"Edmund," she whispered, "what do you think the Witch will do with us?"

"How should I know?" said Edmund and he curled up his knees tight to his chest and refused to look up. Feeling a rush of anger, Joy quickly turned her body around to face him.

"I never should have listened to you. Turkish Delight indeed!" Her stomach growled. "How could you think the Witch was a nice person?"

"I don't know what happened," said Edmund. He had a such lost expression on his face that Joy pitied him for a moment. Then she remembered how Edmund pulled her through the gates when she had wanted to go back and join the others, and angry tears blurred her vision.

"Once we get out of this, I never want to speak to you again!" said Joy, and she curled up against the cold wall and tried to sleep. Edmund didn't say another word.


	6. A Wolf Chase and the Witch's Wrath

**Chapter Six**

The group headed slowly back towards the dam. It seemed like no one was in a hurry to get back to the dam without their missing siblings. Rebecca was trying to keep her focus on Aslan and fighting the White Witch, and not panicking over what may be happening to Joy. Or staring at the back of Peter's head for that matter, since he was walking in front of her. Mr. Beaver was leading the way, waddling through the snow, when he suddenly stopped and started sniffing the air. The children quickly gathered around him in a huddle.

"What are you doing?" asked Rebecca. Mr. Beaver shushed her, then looked back up the slope. Susan and Lucy looked over at Peter, who wordlessly shrugged. Then, Mr. Beaver's eyes went wide with fear and he started running down the hill.

"Come on!" he shouted. "We're being followed!" The children hurried after him.

"What could be following us?" asked Peter.

"The Witch's secret police!" shouted Mr. Beaver urgently. Rebecca then remembered the pawprint on the parchment from Mr. Tumnus' cave.

"Wolves?" she asked, secretly hoping she was wrong.

"Yes!" shouted Mr. Beaver, and that made all the children run. Dodging between the trees, Susan pulled ahead of Peter while he grabbed onto Lucy's hand and helped her run. At the back, Rebecca slipped and fell hard in the snow.

"Rebecca!" called out Lucy, and Peter stopped running as well. He started to run back to help her when a chilling howl came from the woods behind them. Lucy and Peter froze in their tracks. Rebecca leapt to her feet and caught up to the others. The children raced through the trees and down the final slope where they could see the dam. They rushed inside and Mr. Beaver bolted the door behind them. Panting, they all ran through the inner door and into the heart of the dam.

"Hurry Mama, they're after us!" said Mr. Beaver urgently.

"Oh! Right then," said Mrs. Beaver, and she instantly started busying herself about the kitchen.

"What's she doing?!" asked Peter. Mr. Beaver shrugged, exasperated. Susan and Rebecca moved past Peter to help her.

"You'll be thanking me later," said Mrs. Beaver. "It's a long journey and Beaver gets pretty cranky when he's hungry." Mrs. Beaver grabbed some sausages from the ice box.

"I'm cranky now!" shouted Mr. Beaver. He, Peter and Lucy looked on while the others gathered together some bundles of food: sausages, bread, cheese, a tin full of tea, the bread knife, tea pot and cups all neatly packed in their wrappings. All of these, including Mr. Beaver's tinder box, were placed inside a large sack.

"Do you think we'll need jam?" asked Susan, and Mrs. Beaver bundled it up without a response.

"Only if the Witch serves toast," said Peter. Both Rebecca and Susan glared at him.

"Not helping Peter," mumbled Rebecca as she wrapped some bread in a clean cloth. Then, growls came from outside the hut.

"They're here," said Peter, and everyone froze inside the room.

"I'm almost finished," said Mrs. Beaver. Scratching noises came from the wall by the window.

"They're trying to get in!" said Rebecca. Peter quickly shoved Lucy behind him and grabbed Susan's arm. Rebecca snatched up the sack of supplies.

"That's enough!" shouted Mr. Beaver. He ran across the room and opened the oddly-placed door in the kitchen, where a lantern could be seen with a rope leading down into a dark tunnel. He grabbed the rope with his paws and slid down into the dark space. "Come on!" he told the others. Mrs. Beaver quickly followed, then Lucy, Susan, Rebecca, and Peter went last, closing the door behind him. Once inside the tunnel, Peter lit the torch which Mr. Beaver said he kept down there for emergencies and they went forward as fast as they could.

All the children, except Lucy, had to walk bent over because of the low ceiling, and they all had to pick their way over roots sticking out of the dirt floor below. Rebecca carried the sack of supplies and tried to keep it from banging against her leg as she briskly walked. All the while, Mr. Beaver told them the story of the tunnel. "Badger and me dug this," he said, "comes up right near his place."

"You told me it led to your mum's," said Mrs. Beaver. Rebecca smiled in spite of their situation. In front of her, Lucy tripped over a root.

"Ow!" she cried as she fell.

"Lucy!" gasped Susan. Peter turned around and Rebecca stopped walking. Then Lucy froze as barks and growls filled the tunnel behind them.

"They're in the tunnel," she whispered. The hair rose on the back of Rebecca's neck.

"Quick, this way!" said Mr. Beaver.

"Hurry!" said Mrs. Beaver. Susan quickly helped Lucy up and they kept on running. Peter called back "Run!" but Rebecca thought they didn't need any more encouragement. Then, around another turn, the group reached a dead end. "You should have brought a map!" shouted Mrs. Beaver to Mr. Beaver.

"There wasn't room," he said, "next to the jam," and he climbed out of the hole and opened the door in the dirt in front of them. Mrs. Beaver went next, then Susan, followed by Lucy and Rebecca. Peter put out the torch and crawled out last.

"Come on Lucy," said Susan, and she made her stand clear of the door. Rebecca and Mrs. Beaver quickly checked the sack to make sure nothing was broken while Peter and Mr. Beaver pushed a barrel of water in front of the tunnel door. Lucy cried out in pain behind them and they all turned around.

Stone statues were scattered throughout the clearing. Lucy had tripped over what looked like a squirrel family having tea. A wild hog stood in the doorway of one hut, and a badger, rearing and ready to strike with his claws, stood defending another badger who was cowering against the wall of another hut. The children stared with silent horror at the sight. Rebecca's heart broke at the sight of the poor animals, and her fists clenched tightly around the fabric of the sack.

"What happened here?" asked Peter.

"This is what becomes of those who cross the Witch," said a new voice, and a fox appeared on the roof of one of the huts. The girls gasped. Peter gathered his sisters behind him, while Rebecca quickly dropped the supplies and scooped up a handful of snow. Mr. Beaver marched forward with his fists clenched while Mrs. Beaver tried to hold him back.

"You take one more step traitor and I'll chew you to splinters!" threatened Mr. Beaver. Rebecca threw the snowball and narrowly missed. The fox chuckled, ignoring the threat.

"Relax," he jumped off the roof and landed neatly on the ground "I'm one of the good guys," he said.

"Yeah?" asked Mr. Beaver with disbelief. "Well you look an awful lot like one of the bad ones." Mrs. Beaver was still trying to pull him back. A sudden thought struck Rebecca, and she dropped the second snowball.

"An unfortunate family resemblance," said the fox, then Rebecca interrupted him.

"Wait!" she said and stepped forward. The fox looked over at her with bright, intelligent eyes. "Are you the fox who helped my sister Joy when she was here?" asked Rebecca. The fox studied her face, then smiled.

"Yes, that was me," he said, bowing his head slightly. "A pleasure to help a Daughter of Eve." Then his smile drooped. "Unfortunately," he looked back at Mr. Beaver "I brought this upon your friends by bringing Joy here." The fox looked away with a guilty expression and Mr. Beaver looked angry again. Barks and growls came from the tunnel door. The fox's guilty look vanished. "But we can talk about that later, right now we've got to move." The barking came closer and closer.

"What do you have in mind?" asked Peter. The fox smiled again and looked over their heads at the huge tree behind them. The group ran to it. Rebecca and Peter hoisted the Beavers up and they scrambled from branch to branch. Susan went next, followed by Lucy who got help from Peter. He then turned to Rebecca. "Up you go," he said.

"No," Rebecca shook her head. "You go next," she said, "as future King."

"Rebecca," said Peter with frustration "now's not the time for," Mr. Beaver interrupted him by shouting from above.

"Would you two humans stop arguing please!" Peter grabbed Rebecca by the arms, handed her the sack of supplies which she had dropped earlier, and forced her up onto the branches. The fox swept the snow beneath them with his tail to hide their tracks. Rebecca held the sack in her lap and she and Peter sat on the branch below Susan and Lucy. They all watched with fear as the barrel holding the tunnel door closed spun away like a spinning top when the door flew open. The wolves shot forward and quickly surrounded the fox in a circle.

"Greetings gents," said the fox. "Lost something, have we?"

"Don't patronize me!" growled the leader. "I know where your allegiance lies. We're looking for some humans." The fox laughed, acting cool as a cucumber.

"Humans, here in Narnia," said the fox. "Now that's a valuable bit of information, don't you think?" Peter looked uneasily at Rebecca. She refused to believe the fox would turn them in when he helped Joy and shook her head at him. A wolf broke out of the circle and snapped its jaws around the fox's body, making him cry out in pain. Rebecca pressed the fabric of the sack against her mouth to hide her gasp but refused to tear her eyes away from the scene unfolding below. Beside her, Peter grabbed her other hand which was gripping the tree branch beneath them and he looked both scared and angry.

"Your reward is your life," said the wolf "but its not much." The wolf laughed a deep, rough laugh and the fox glared at him. "But still," the wolf stalked closer "where are the fugitives?" The fox was now gasping for air. He briefly looked up at the children, then pointed with his paw.

"North, they ran north," he said weakly.

"Smell them out," said the leader, and the wolves ran off. The one holding the fox tossed him away towards the huts, where he lay limp in the snow. For a few minutes, no one dared to move for fear the wolves would come back.

"Would you come down already?" said the fox, who was struggling to get to his feet. "I can't start a fire all by myself."

"Wait!" called out Rebecca, slipping her hand out from beneath Peter's. "I'll help you!" She took the sack of supplies and rushed down the trunk, stepping cautiously from branch to branch. Mr. Beaver grumbled to Mrs. Beaver as he climbed down, but one look from her made him grow quiet. Peter went next, making sure Lucy and Susan did not trip or fall, and Rebecca helped the fox get to his feet. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Maybe I should be a little more careful next time," he said with a twinkle in his eyes. Rebecca laughed and stood up.

"What makes you so sure they won't come back here looking for you?" she asked.

"Well," the fox shook out his fur "they will likely report back to the Witch sooner than later. Only question I have is how they found out about you?" Rebecca felt her blood run cold as the others gathered near. It suddenly struck her as to who had told the Witch.

"Edmund," said Rebecca quietly, looking at the others.

"No, surely Edmund can't have done that," said Susan, shaking her head. "He couldn't have betrayed us."

"I'm afraid so," said Mr. Beaver. "Why else would he have gone to the Witch?" Peter said nothing but a cloud of anger covered his face and nothing more needed to be said. Rebecca wanted to point out to Susan that only Edmund could have done so as he was the one all the evidence was pointing to but chose to say nothing. Apparently, so did the others. Even Lucy didn't rush to Edmund's defense but looked sadly at the snow under her feet instead.

Using the tinder box, Mr. Beaver and Peter started a fire in the little clearing with all the little houses behind them. They all sat around it and nibbled on some bread and cheese while the sausages roasted over the fire. Mrs. Beaver tended to Mr. Fox's wounds, and Rebecca asked him about Joy's first trip to Narnia. After he told them about taking her to the Badger's home, Lucy asked about Mr. Tumnus and if Mr. Fox knew what might have happened to him.

"Well, it was through your sister" he nodded to Rebecca "that I found out that the faun Tumnus was on our side, but unfortunately the Witch got to him before I did. Ow!" He groaned in pain. Mrs. Beaver rolled her eyes and applied more salve to the bite marks on his back.

"Are you alright?" asked Lucy.

"Well, I wish I could say their bark as worse than their bite," said Mr. Fox and then he flinched. "Ow!"

"Oh, stop squirming," said Mrs. Beaver "you're worse than Beaver on Bath Day." Mr. Beaver chuckled.

"Worst day of the year," he whispered. The children smiled, except for Peter who looked very serious. Rebecca stared at him and wondered what he was thinking, then he looked in her direction and she quickly looked back at Mr. Fox.

"Thank you for your kindness," said Mr. Fox as he stood up "but I'm afraid that's all the cure I have time for."

"What's the rush?" asked Rebecca.

"You're leaving?" asked Lucy.

"It has been a pleasure my Queen and an honour," the fox gave Lucy an elegant bow. "The time is short and Aslan himself has asked me to gather more troops." The Beavers gasped with excitement. Rebecca felt the same warm, adventurous feeling wash over her at the mention of Aslan's name.

"You've seen Aslan?" asked Mr. Beaver.

"What's he like?!" asked Mrs. Beaver excitedly. Rebecca held her breath with anticipation.

"He's everything we ever heard," said Mr. Fox, and Rebecca felt strangely disappointed by the description. Mr. Fox turned to the children. "You'll be glad to have him by your side in the battle against the Witch." Rebecca nodded and rested her chin on her hand. She wondered what Aslan was really like and how would she act when she would finally meet him.

"But we're not planning on fighting any Witch," said Susan. Rebecca frowned.

"But fighting may be," Mr. Fox cut Rebecca off and looked at Peter.

"Surely King Peter, the prophecy!" he said. The whole group looked at Peter.

"We can't go to war without you," said Mr. Beaver. Peter looked at Susan, then Lucy, and tossed another stick onto the fire.

"We just want our brother back," he said.

"And my sister," mumbled Rebecca, but no one was listening. Mr. Fox trotted slowly away from the campfire, and Rebecca thought of all the questions she had. "Mr. Fox!" She scrambled to her feet, tripped on the hem of the fur coat and ran after the fox. "Mr. Fox, wait!"

"Yes?" Mr. Fox turned around, his eyes glowing in the moonlight, and Rebecca stopped running. "What was it you wanted?" The words slipped from her mind and Rebecca forgot what she wanted to say. Was it about Joy? Herself? "Yes Rebecca?" he prompted her.

"Why am I in Narnia?" The words exploded out of her mouth. "If the prophecy only calls for two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve, why did my sister and I even end up in Narnia in the first place?" Tears of frustration started to form in her eyes. Why was she here if she was to be useless?

"Well, I've always thought that any humans who come into Narnia come for a reason," said the fox. Rebecca shoved her hands into the soft pockets of the coat and looked away.

"I guess Joy and I are the exception," mumbled Rebecca.

"Maybe next time I see Aslan, I'll ask him for you." Rebecca's head flew up.

"Really?" she asked breathlessly. "No," she shook her head "I'm sure that would be bothering him."

"No, Aslan would not be bothered by such a question," said Mr. Fox as Rebecca knelt in the snow in front of him.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "He sounds like he's too busy to worry about one human girl."

"Oh no, he is not like that at all," said Mr. Fox, shaking his head. "I will ask him for you," he paused "unless you reach Aslan's Camp first." And with a wink, he bounded off into the woods. Rebecca stood up and rubbed her cold knees.

She returned to the camp fire and sat down beside Lucy, who handed her another piece of toast.

"Thanks Lucy," said Rebecca softly.

"Is everything alright Rebecca?" asked Peter. She looked across the fire at him, and quickly raised her head.

"I'm fine," she said, and focused on the dancing flames before her. The Beavers kept rubbing their paws together, holding them out in front of the fire, then rubbing their paws together again. Rebecca looked around at all the gloomy faces.

"Look," she said, "if what Mr. Beaver said is true, Edmund and Joy are alive, right?" She looked at Mr. Beaver for confirmation.

"That's right, and she won't hurt them if I know the Witch," said Mr. Beaver before taking another sip of his tea.

"So, we have nothing to worry about as long as we reach Aslan's Camp before the wolves head back to her castle," said Rebecca. "Correct Mr. Beaver?" He nodded.

"You're not the least bit worried about Joy?" asked Susan, and Rebecca's bravado dimmed slightly.

"I am worried," she said "but I also think there's nothing we can do right now except for heading towards Aslan's Camp. Then, we'll ask Aslan to help us rescue Edmund and Joy, and then save all of Narnia through making the prophecy come true!" Lucy nodded slightly while Susan shook her head.

"Let's just focus on one problem at a time Rebecca," said Peter with a stern look in her direction. "Edmund and Joy are where we cannot get to them without help. We should focus on getting to Aslan's Camp and go from there." Both the Beavers looked slightly disappointed, but Rebecca thought she saw a plotting gleam in Mr. Beaver's eyes and wondered if he was planning something. She turned her attention back to Peter.

"But," argued Rebecca "by joining with Aslan we can help our siblings. Attacking the Witch's castle may be our only way of freeing Joy and Edmund. In turn, by defeating her," then Susan spoke up.

"Rebecca let's focus on Edmund and Joy," she said, and Rebecca saw no point in continuing to argue about the prophecy since no one was listening. Her eyes met Peter's for a moment before she stared at the fire again.

The night grew colder, and Mr. Beaver stood up once everyone had finished eating. "Come on," he said to the children "we can sleep in Badger's house tonight. Best to get out of the cold on a night like this." No one argued the point, and after stiffly standing up, they followed Mr. Beaver back towards the statues and houses. Mr. Beaver glanced briefly at the statue of his friend and shook his head before opening the door to the hut.

Peter lit the fire in the stove while Susan closed all the curtains. There were two bunks built into the wall, so the Beavers took one and Lucy took another since the others were too big for them. Peter, Susan and Rebecca were left to sleep on the floor, but with the thick fur coats acting as blankets, they were quite snug. Rebecca took her place between the cupboard of dishes and the stove, while Susan lay with her back to the stove and Peter was by the opposite wall.

"Goodnight," said Rebecca softly, and a chorus of "Goodnights" followed until Mr. Beaver told all the humans to quiet down so they could get some sleep. Rebecca thought about Aslan, rescuing Joy and Peter's hand on hers earlier that day. With those thoughts, she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

It was a rough night in the cell, and bitterly cold. Every so often Joy would look out the cell window but the same blackness of night greeted her every time. With all the ice around them, Joy couldn't tell how much time had passed since they were thrown into the cell, but it seemed to inch slowly on. She kept her word by not saying one word to Edmund and kept her back to him the entire time.

By what seemed to be hours later, Joy was staring at the crust of bread, silently debating whether to eat it or not. Edmund must have had the same idea, because she heard a _crunch_ come from behind her, and then Edmund started coughing. _Scratch_. _Clang._ He must have picked up the mug and dropped it back onto the tray. Joy peeked at hers and saw it was frozen. She silently fumed and knew she wasn't going to forgive Edmund for a long time. Then a new voice spoke from the other side of the cell, and it was so soft that Joy almost missed it.

"Hey," it said. Both the children were startled. Joy looked through the broken divider which she hadn't noticed before due to her anger and saw a faun with a bruised face and a red woolen scarf covered his upper body. He had the same iron shackles around his legs that Joy and Edmund did and he looked so pitiful in the lowlight that Joy felt like crying as she stared at him. "If you're not going to eat that," said the faun. Edmund picked up the crust of bread and moved slowly across the cell floor. Joy grabbed her piece as well and crawled next to him.

"I'd get up but," the faun spoke slowly like he was in pain "with my legs," and he groaned as he leaned against the divider and took the bread from Edmund.

"Mr. Tumnus?" asked Edmund. Joy glared at him for beating her to the question. Mr. Tumnus scoffed.

"What's left of him," he said. Joy looked down at the bread in her hand.

"Here's some more Mr. Tumnus," she said and she held out the crust. Mr. Tumnus took it and looked from her to Edmund.

"Are you Lucy's friend Joy?" asked Mr. Tumnus. Lucy had told him about her?! Joy nodded excitedly. Mr. Tumnus then looked at Edmund. "You're Lucy Pevensie's brother?"

"I'm Edmund," he said, looking very uncomfortable and he wasn't looking Mr. Tumnus in the eye.

"You," said Mr. Tumnus "you have the same nose." Edmund hung his head even more, and Joy frowned at him. "Is your sister alright?" asked Mr. Tumnus. Joy did not know how to answer, and Mr. Tumnus must have noticed her worry for he asked urgently "Is she safe?"

At that moment, they heard growls come from above their cell. Joy and Edmund looked at the ceiling, and then at one another. Edmund said, "I don't know."

"I'm scared," whispered Joy. Mr. Tumnus' sat up straighter, alarmed. Then the dungeon's cell lock clicked.

Mr. Tumnus, Joy and Edmund scrambled away from the divider. Joy crawled quickly on all fours with the chain rattling on the icy floor. She had just reached the wall when the cell door opened. It was the Witch! Followed by the wicked dwarf who brought them into the dungeon earlier. Edmund was still in the middle of the cell, slowly making his way to the wall.

"My police," said the Witch "tore that dam apart." She stopped, facing Edmund in the middle of the room. "Your little families," she glanced at Joy "are no where to be found." Joy slumped against the wall with relief; Rebecca, Lucy and the others were safe. The Witch then grabbed Edmund by the collar of his shirt and hoisted him into the air! Joy gasped, worried she was next. "Where did they go?" asked the Witch, holding Edmund on a level with her face.

"I, I don't know!" said Edmund, in pain from the weight of the chains. The Witch looked over at Joy, who stared wide-eyed and afraid to move.

"And you?" asked the Witch to Joy. She shook her head, and the Witch looked back at Edmund.

"Then you are of no further use to me," said the Witch coldly and she dumped Edmund onto the floor. She then raised her wand.

"Stop!" shouted Joy, pushing away from the wall. She didn't want to see anyone, even Edmund, get killed.

"Wait!" cried Edmund. "The Beaver's said something about Aslan!" Mr. Tumnus' head flew up. Joy stared wide-eyed at Edmund. _Don't give anything away,_ she thought. The Witch froze, looking furious. She quickly lowered the wand.

"Aslan?" Her voice seemed choked with anger. "Where?" she asked, eyes blazing. Edmund met Joy's eyes for a second then looked back at the Witch.

"I," said Edmund before Mr. Tumnus interrupted him.

"He's a stranger here Your Majesty, he can't be expected to know anything," said the faun. The Witch's dwarf quickly slammed the butt of his axe into Mr. Tumnus' temple, making him cry out in pain. Joy winced as the sound echoed off the walls.

"I said," the Witch glared at Edmund "where is Aslan?" Edmund looked over at Mr. Tumnus, who lowered his head when the Witch looked over at him.

"I, I don't know," said Edmund and Joy breathed a sigh of relief. "I left before they said anything." He struggled to sit up. "I wanted to see you," he pleaded. The Witch looked unfazed.

"Maybe I should ask your friend here," said the Witch, and she pointed her wand at Joy.

"No!" Joy cried out. "I don't know where Aslan is!" She shook her head and looked over at Edmund. The Witch's eyes blazed and she lowered the wand. In a sweeping motion she stooped down and slapped Joy across the face. Joy's face spun sideways and her left cheek slammed into the wall. Dark spots spun over her vison and pain throbbed in her head. Joy kept her eyes shut, afraid to open them for fear of crying. "I hope that is the last time you lie to me," said the Witch coolly.

"Leave her alone," said Edmund. Joy let out a tiny whimper and slowly peeled open her eyes, only to see the Witch glaring at Edmund.

"How dare you," said the Witch, and then she shouted "Guard!" The monster quickly marched into the cell, holding the mallet in one hand.

"Your Majesty," he said.

"Release the faun," said the Witch, staring at Edmund. Joy finally pushed herself up to lean against the wall and stared at the wand in the Witch's hand. Mr. Tumnus cried out in pain as the guard pounded the nails out of the shackles. He then dragged Mr. Tumnus out of his cell and threw him at the Witch's feet. The Witch rested her wand over her shoulder and looked down at Mr. Tumnus.

"Do you know why you're here, faun?" she asked. Mr. Tumnus raised his head so he could look the Witch in the eye.

"Because I believe in a free Narnia," said Mr. Tumnus. The proud look in his eyes made the urge to cry rise in Joy's throat again. The Witch smiled cruelly down at the faun.

"You're here," said the Witch "because he," she pointed at Edmund with her wand "turned you in. For sweeties." Mr. Tumnus and Joy looked at Edmund, who looked incredibly guilty. Joy then remembered his reaction to Mr. Tumnus' cave.

"It was you," she softly said. Edmund's face fell as he looked away.

The Witch lowered her wand. "Take him upstairs," she told the guard. Mr. Tumnus was still staring at Edmund when the guard started dragging him away. Joy could hear him groaning and cry out in pain as he was taken out of the cell and tried to block out the sounds by plugging her ears.

"And ready my sleigh," said the Witch to the dwarf "Edmund misses his family." Edmund hung his head and refused to look up.

"What about me?" asked Joy, then instantly regretted the words as the Witch looked down on her.

"Every human has had a purpose in the past," mumbled the Witch, then she raised her chin. "You will stay here until I decide what to do with you," said the Witch in a commanding tone, and she marched out of the cell. The dwarf scooped up his beard with his free arm and followed her. Once the dungeon door slammed and the Witch's footsteps receded down the hallway, Joy could no longer hold in the pain.

"Ow," cried Joy. Both sides of her face hurt, one from the slap and the other from when she hit the icy wall of the cell. She gently touched both sides of her face and winced.

"Are you okay Joy?" came Edmund's low voice from where he was seated in the middle of the cell. A hot tear leaked out of Joy's left eye and snaked over a raw scratch on her cheek.

"Take a wild guess Edmund," she said, and pushed away from the wall. She slowly turned around to face Edmund. "How could you? You betrayed your family _and_ Mr. Tumnus for Turkish Delight? You wanted to join the Witch's side?!" Her voice grew steadily louder. "Why?"

"She said she would make me King," mumbled Edmund. "Peter was always telling me what to do, and I thought it was about time I told him what to do for a change."

"And was turning your family, and my sister, over to the Witch worth being King?" asked Joy. Edmund refused to answer. "I hope you feel guilty. I hope you feel miserable!" scolded Joy. Edmund still said nothing, but he looked at her with such sad eyes that Joy was surprised. As she started to regret some of her words though, he suddenly frowned.

"You know, I hope you stop talking to me as soon as possible," he said, "you're beginning to sound like Peter!" and he looked away sulking. Joy glared at the back of his head.

"Good, at least one of us makes sense, traitor," spat out Joy, and she stubbornly faced the wall. Tense silence filled the cell. Joy grew increasingly angrier as she thought of Rebecca, Lucy and the others as they were now on their way to the Stone Table, while she and Edmund were here in the dungeon. They would get to meet Aslan first, and maybe Rebecca would find out why she and Joy were in Narnia. As Joy thought about Aslan, she was suddenly hit with an overwhelming sense of guilt, and she realized how angry and bitter her words had sounded. But she wanted to be angry, she had ever right to be. Yet what was the use? Joy sighed, expelling some of her anger. Then the dungeon lock creaked open and the dwarf came in.

"Time to go, Your Highness," said the dwarf in a mocking tone. The guard pounded the nails out with his mallet and forced Edmund to his feet. The dwarf took his place behind Edmund and made him walk forward and out of the cell. Edmund took one last look at Joy, and she was shocked to see how scared he looked. Her hard gaze softened as he disappeared out of view along with the dwarf. The guard sneered at Joy and slammed the cell door closed behind him.

Somehow, the cell felt colder than it did before. Joy wrapped her arms around herself and pushed her back to the wall. She found herself thinking of Rebecca and Lucy. Even Edmund came to mind. She had to apologize to Rebecca once she got out for Joy knew Rebecca must have been going crazy with worry by now. Joy found herself missing everything about her, even when Rebecca would act like Mum and tell her what to do. Just as things had gone back to normal between them, here in Narnia of all places, she had listened to Edmund and went with him to the Witch's house. More tears leaked out and Joy rested her head on her knees. "Rebecca," she whispered, "I'm sorry." Tears ran down her cheeks, warming her face and dripping from her chin onto her skirt. Would she ever see Rebecca again?

Hoofbeats galloped overhead along with the faint jingling of bells. The shadow of the Witch's sleigh passed by the window, and Joy knew Edmund was gone. Loneliness weighed down on her and Joy sobbed.


	7. The Journey towards Aslan's Camp

**Chapter Seven**

Surprisingly, Rebecca slept well curled up by the stove. The Beavers woke all the children at first light, saying they had a long journey ahead of them if they were to reach Aslan's Camp before the Witch. After a quick breakfast, the Beavers led the children in a southeastern direction, away from the snowy clearing and up into the forest. The sky became brighter and bluer as they walked, and presently the group walked out of the trees and onto a narrow cliff. From the top, they could see the forest spread out below them. Beyond it, a large valley surrounded a wide river, which Rebecca noticed was frozen solid, with forests and mountains in the distance. Lit up in the rising sunlight, everything looked so pristine and beautiful that Rebecca felt bolstered in her personal mission to rescue Joy and make the Pevensies fulfill the prophecy.

"Now Aslan's Camp is near the Stone Table," said Mr. Beaver as he surveyed the valley "just across the frozen river." He pointed at the shimmering, icy river.

"River?" asked Peter, sounding a little worried.

"Oh, the river's been frozen solid for a hundred years," said Mrs. Beaver cheerfully. All the children looked back at the view.

"It's so far," remarked Peter. Rebecca nodded in agreement; this journey seemed to be shaping up into an even bigger adventure.

"It's the world dear," said Mrs. Beaver, looking up at Peter. "Did you expect it to be small?" she asked him. Susan gave Peter an annoyed look.

"Smaller," she said, and walked past Peter towards the edge of the cliff. Peter took Lucy's hand and followed, while Rebecca stared at the scenery. All she could think of was freeing Joy, and this beautiful country, from the Witch's tyranny.

"Rebecca!" called Peter, and Rebecca ran to the others at the edge of the cliff.

It wasn't an incredibly high cliff, but high enough to make everyone nervous. There was a rocky bulge halfway down the cliff, where it turned inward and dropped down to the ground. The Beavers went first, clearing snow away from the ledges with their tails as they made their way down. The four children stared down the cliff. After looking at the others nervously, Rebecca stepped forward.

"Alright, I'll go first," she said.

"Be careful," said Lucy. Rebecca went to the edge and turned around. The others were still standing several feet away from the edge.

"Come on," she said, and she started climbing down. Her shoes were horrible things to climb with and keeping the hem of the fur coat away from her feet was just as difficult, but Rebecca took her time going down the rocky cliff face. Sometimes she would grab the sack of supplies between her teeth in order to free up her hands so she could grab the rocks. Susan went next, then quickly followed by Peter and Lucy. Rebecca had reached the top of the bulging rock when she heard Lucy scream "Peter!" Rebecca looked up in a panic.

Peter was tumbling down the cliff, narrowing missing Susan and heading straight towards her! Rebecca leapt to the side and wiped out on the snow-covered rocks. Peter slid past her, right for the edge of the cliff! "No!" shouted Susan. Peter went over the edge! Rebecca let go of the cliff face and quickly crawled forward. She could see Peter holding onto the rocky ledge and noticed his white-knuckled hands. As she reached him, one of his hands slipped.

"Peter!" screamed Rebecca, hanging her hands over the edge. She could hear Lucy and Susan panting behind her.

"Hold on Peter!" shouted Lucy.

"Son of Adam!" called Mr. Beaver from the base of the cliff. Mrs. Beaver wrung her paws together next to him. Rebecca felt the pressure build up on her shoulders.

"Grab on Peter," she said, and leaned forward, her hands shaking from the stress. Peter still couldn't reach her, and he was swinging through the air like a pendulum. His eyes were wild with fear.

"Peter," Rebecca tried to keep her voice calm "I'm going to try and pull you up." She wrapped her hands around his fingers. "You have to trust me," and she pulled upwards. Lucy and Susan appeared on either side, pulling at her arms. Her sweaty palms made his fingers slip. Rebecca tried to tighten her grip but he was falling too fast! "Don't let go," she muttered to herself through gritted teeth. She had just pulled Peter up far enough for Susan to grab one of his coat sleeves, when he slipped.

"No!" all the girls screamed. Peter fell and landed hard in the snow at the base of the cliff. _Please Aslan, don't let him die,_ thought Rebecca. The girls scrambled down the cliff face and ran to him. Rebecca nearly forgot the sack of supplies and had to run back to get it. As she reached the group, Lucy and Susan were on their knees on either side of Peter. Rebecca held her breath when she realized he wasn't moving and the most horrible thought swept through her mind.

"Peter? Are you okay?" asked Lucy frantically while Susan cried silently. Then Peter slowly sat up, rubbing the back of his head and snow covering him from head to toe.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. Susan and Lucy hugged him tightly, and Rebecca nearly dropped the sack again, her limbs weak with relief. With the trees only a few feet away, he could have had a much worse landing and Rebecca silently thanked Aslan for letting Peter live. Peter looked past his sisters' hair and up at her. Rebecca tried to think of something to say, but nothing seemed right. Finally, he said, "At least I had a soft landing," and Rebecca smiled. Susan handed Peter his coat and helped him to his feet.

"Let's get going humans," said Mr. Beaver, and the travellers started on their way again. Despite the snow covering his clothes, he seemed unharmed. After constant questions from Lucy, Peter finally said, "I'm fine Lu, stop worrying," and Lucy moved forward to keep up with the Beavers. Rebecca ran through the deep, forest snow to catch up with him which was hard-going for the sack of supplies over her shoulder.

"Peter," she started to say, when he looked over at her and for a moment Rebecca got lost in the frosty blues of his eyes. She took a deep breath and came back to her senses. "I'm very sorry," she said, "I thought I had a good grip on your hand!" She looked down at her free hand before shoving it back into her coat pocket.

"I'm alright," said Peter with a shrug of his shoulders. "You're just as bad as Lucy when it comes to worrying. As I said, at least I had a soft landing." He gave her a half smile, to which Rebecca smiled back. She looked down before she started blushing again and then narrowly missed running into a tree. Peter then lifted the sack of supplies off her shoulder and swung it over his own. "It's alright," he said when she protested "you've been carrying since last night, I can carry it for a few hours." Rebecca thought of arguing the point but remembered that if he was to be King of Narnia, maybe she should let him have his way. So, she let Peter carry the sack and slipped her left hand into her coat pocket as well.

The group walked through the seemingly never-ending forest as the sun rose over their heads. Slowly Rebecca's thoughts returned to Joy, wondering what had happened to her. What had made her follow Edmund; the two didn't even get along! No matter what scenario she played out in her mind, nothing seemed to answer the question and Rebecca gave up trying to figure it out.

The travellers came to the end of the forest and entered a large valley. The Beavers took the lead, then Susan, Rebecca, Peter and finally Lucy bringing up the rear. Their footsteps marred the untouched snow as they walked. The sun was high in the sky by now, it must have been about ten o'clock in the morning, and Rebecca's eyes were starting to ache from the sun's glare on the snow. With all the walking, and the sun beating down on their backs, the children unbuttoned their coats and sweaters. Mr. Beaver turned around and looked at the trudging children behind him.

"Come on humans, while we're still young," he said with a wide grin showing his buck teeth. Peter shook his head as he caught up to the girls.

"If he tells us to hurry," he said, handing the sack of supplies back to Rebecca "one more time," and he bent down so Lucy could climb up on his back "I'm gonna turn him into a big, fluffy hat." Rebecca and Susan laughed.

"Hurry up! Come on!" called Mr. Beaver.

"He is getting a little bossy," said Lucy from her perch behind Peter.

"Agreed," said Rebecca.

"No, behind you," said Mrs. Beaver. The children looked back the way they'd come. A sleigh drawn by reindeer was coming across the field towards them. "It's her!" There was no question about who "her" was.

"Run!" shouted Mr. Beaver. Peter quickly let Lucy down off his back and grabbed her hand.

"Run!" he called. Susan and Rebecca ran as fast as they could through the snow towards the tree line. The sack of supplies kept on hitting Rebecca's leg but she didn't bother to run cautiously. All that mattered was staying away from the White Witch. The jingling bells of the sleigh seemed to be coming closer and closer behind them. The trees quickly engulfed them as Rebecca and Susan ran into the forest.

Mr. Beaver who was leading the group turned suddenly to the right. "Inside!" he shouted. There was a little hollow inside the rock! Rebecca and Susan dove into it.

"Quick! Quickly!" said Mrs. Beaver. Mr. Beaver jumped down as Lucy and Peter dove inside. It was a tight squeeze but everyone sat perfectly still, fur coats bundled on top of one another. The whole group went quiet. Rebecca even tried to breathe quietly, whereas Susan next to her sounded like a roaring lion in her ear.

A shadow appeared on the rock above their heads and from the shape it looked like a dwarf. Some snow fell from his boots in front of the children, and they all watched as the dwarf walked away. Mr. Beaver started sniffing the air.

"Maybe she's gone," said Lucy quietly. Rebecca thought you would hear the sleigh and reindeer but didn't dare say it out loud. Peter started to climb out of the hollow.

"I suppose I'll go and look," he said. Rebecca shook her head at him.

"No!" whispered Mr. Beaver, stopping him. "You're worth nothing to Narnia dead." He headed away from the hollow.

"But neither are you Beaver," said Mrs. Beaver. Mr. Beaver clasped her paws with his own.

"Thanks sweetheart," he said tenderly, and then he climbed up onto the ground above their heads. What followed was hard to make out: a whisper, the jingling of a harness, a quiet laugh. Rebecca didn't know what to think but hoped that Mr. Beaver was alright. Lucy and Susan looked at Peter with worried expressions. He tried to encourage them with a smile but Rebecca saw right through it. He then glanced at her and Rebecca looked away.

"Come here! Come here!" said Mr. Beaver, and his head suddenly appeared over the top of the hollow. Lucy shrieked! Susan and Rebecca were startled, and Peter grabbed Lucy's arm to quiet her down. However, Mr. Beaver ignored all their reactions. "I hope you've all been good cause there's someone here to see ya!" Fear gave way to confusion, and everyone slowly climbed out of the hollow.

As Rebecca peeked her head over the top of the hollow, she saw a large man standing by a sleigh which was drawn by reindeer. He was laughing, and the sound was so jolly that Rebecca started smiling herself. They had no reason to run for it was Father Christmas! Lucy walked past her and said to him "Merry Christmas Sir."

"It certainly is Lucy," he said, "since you have arrived." Susan turned to Peter.

"Look, I've put up with a lot since I got here," she said, and Rebecca tried not to roll her eyes "but this," continued Susan.

"We thought you were the Witch," said Peter, interrupting her.

"Yes," said Father Christmas as he looked down at his boots "I'm sorry about that. But in my defense," he took off his gloves "I've been driving one of these longer than the Witch." Susan stepped forward.

"I thought there was no Christmas in Narnia," she said, regarding him suspiciously.

"No," said Father Christmas, tucking his gloves into his pocket. "Not for a long time. But the hope that you have brought Your Majesties," he paused "is finally starting to weaken the Witch's power." Beside Rebecca, Mrs. Beaver looped her arm through Mr. Beaver's and smiled. Rebecca hoped that if the Witch's powers were weakening, Joy would go free.

"Still," said Father Christmas "I daresay, you can do with these." He hoisted a huge bag out of the back of the sleigh and dropped it onto the snow.

"Presents!" cried out Lucy, and she rushed forward. Father Christmas laughed and took two items out of the bag. He bent down so he was on level with Lucy and his face grew very serious.

"The juice of the fire flower," he said, and handed a small bottle made of glass to Lucy which contained a red liquid "one drop will cure any injury." Lucy took it, and Rebecca saw it came with its own red leather pouch which would connect to a belt. "And though I hope you never have to use it," he handed her a small dagger attached to a belt.

"Thank you, Sir," said Lucy "but I think I could be brave enough." Rebecca silently hoped she herself would be brave enough when they would fight against the Witch.

"And I'm sure you could," said Father Christmas, then shook his head "but battles are ugly affairs." Lucy smiled at him and stepped back. Father Christmas went back to his bag and pulled out two more items.

"Susan," he said. Susan hesitated but went forward. Father Christmas placed a bow and a quiver full of arrows in her hands. "Trust in this bow, and it will not easily miss." Rebecca could see Susan's initials on the front of the quiver.

"What happened to 'battles are ugly affairs' Sir?" asked Susan. Father Christmas laughed.

"Well you don't seem to have a problem making yourself heard," he said and held out a horn which seemed to be made of ivory "blow on this and wherever you are, help will come."

"Thanks," said Susan, and Rebecca was surprised to see a smile on her face. Father Christmas grinned and went back to the bag. A flash of metal caught everyone's attention, and Rebecca's eyes latched onto the objects.

"Peter," said Father Christmas and Peter stepped forward. "The time to use these may be near at hand." He handed Peter a sword, complete with sheath and sword belt, and a silver shield with a red, rampant lion design across it. Peter slipped the sword out of the sheath and it shone in the sunlight from beyond the trees.

"Thank you, Sir," he said.

"These are tools, not toys," said Father Christmas. "Bear them well, and wisely." Peter put the sword back in its sheath and stepped back. Rebecca wished with all her heart for a sword like that. Then, Father Christmas looked straight at her.

"And Rebecca," he said, and the Pevensies all looked at her. The Beavers looked like they were about to jump out of their skin with surprise. Rebecca slowly walked forward, anxious.

"Me, Sir?" she asked. Father Christmas nodded, eyes twinkling like he was holding back a secret. He held out a sword, slightly smaller than Peter's, but it was the perfect size and weight for Rebecca to use. Rebecca gasped with delight as she took the sword in her hands.

"Battles are ugly affairs," he said and gave Susan a look which made Rebecca smile "but something tells me you would fight no matter what." How did he know?! Rebecca stared at the sword, now she was ready to fight for Joy's freedom and for Narnia. "And this is something that may help you," and he placed an orb of silver in her right hand. It was a compass, with a bright red lion at the centre and a silver arrow acted as the needle. "This is a compass, but it does not point North," he said. Rebecca gave Father Christmas a questioning look. "It points towards Aslan." Rebecca heard the Beavers' gasp behind her. "Either Aslan himself or the way that Aslan wants you to go." Rebecca's jaw dropped and she looked at the compass again. Did this mean Aslan has a plan for her?

"Thank you, Sir," said Rebecca with awe. She stepped back, looking down at the compass. The arrow slowly spun away from Father Christmas and pointed towards the woods behind her. It looked very similar to the arrow from her dream a few nights ago.

"Now then," said Father Christmas. Rebecca looked away from the woods and back at him. "I must be off," he said. "Winter is almost over, and things can pile up when you've been gone a hundred years." He hoisted the bag back into the sleigh and Peter laughed. Father Christmas turned around to face the group.

"Long Live Aslan," he said, and climbed back into the sleigh. All the children were smiling at him, even Susan. "And Merry Christmas!" He flicked the reins and the sleigh started pulling away.

"Merry Christmas! Thank you! Good-bye!" called Lucy.

"Good-bye! See you next year!" shouted Peter.

"Good-bye!" shouted Rebecca and Susan in unison. They burst out laughing, and Mrs. Beaver joined in. Once Father Christmas was out of earshot, Lucy turned sharply towards Susan.

"Told you he was real," she said. Rebecca chuckled to herself and wrapped the sword belt around her waist. Peter showed Mr. Beaver his sword while Susan asked to see Lucy's cordial bottle.

"You know Lucy, this bottle is made out of some very thick glass," said Susan, turning the bottle of cordial over in her hands. Mrs. Beaver waddled forward.

"Let me see," she said, and took the bottle from Susan's outstretched palm. After a few seconds, Mrs. Beaver's eyes went wide. "This bottle is made from diamond!" she exclaimed. Lucy smiled proudly while Rebecca's jaw dropped.

"Diamond?" she asked, stepping closer. Mrs. Beaver handed the bottle back to Lucy and looked at the compass in Rebecca's hand.

"Your compass," she said, pointing at the orb of silver "may I?" Rebecca slowly placed the compass in Mrs. Beaver's paws. Mrs. Beaver then nodded excitedly. "Yes," she said, "your compass' housing is made of diamond too!" Rebecca took the compass back and stared at it, watching as the arrow spun back towards the woods again.

"He said winter was almost over," said Peter thoughtfully behind them. All the girls stopped talking and he looked at them with a worried expression. "You know what that means?" he asked. Puzzled, they stared at him. "No more ice."

"He's right," said Mr. Beaver "we have to make it to the river!" Rebecca spoke up.

"And I know the way we have to go!" She turned in the direction the compass was aiming. "This way," she pointed.

"How do you know that?" asked Susan skeptically.

"Because she's the only one with a compass," said Peter, and everyone rushed forward. Peter and Susan ran awkwardly, for putting on your weapons and running at the same time is not a good combination. Also, Susan had to stop to help Lucy put the healing cordial onto the belt attached to her dagger. But presently they all got underway, running through the forest with Rebecca and the Beavers in the lead. Rebecca soon noticed that the snow seemed to be growing wetter and slushier beneath her feet, and several times droplets of water fell on her head from overhanging branches.

A little while, the trees suddenly cleared and the travellers were standing at the top of a rocky cliff from which you could look down at the frozen waterfall and the river. Unfortunately for them, the frozen river was melting rather quickly. Great ice pieces were breaking off and floating downstream while the sound of the crackling ice filled the air. The amount of solid ice for which they needed to get across the river was shrinking and getting closer and closer to the waterfall, which so far was still frozen. But that did little to calm them down.

"We need to cross, now," said Peter. Lucy quickly looked at Mr. Beaver.

"Don't beavers make dams?" she asked.

"I'm not that fast dear," said Mr. Beaver, and he and Mrs. Beaver started climbing down the cliff. Peter grabbed Lucy's hand.

"Come on," he said and rushed towards the rocky path down to the river. Rebecca followed them.

"Wait," called Susan "can we just think about this for a minute?!"

"We don't have a minute," said Peter, looking frustrated.

"I was just trying to be realistic," said Susan with annoyance.

"No," countered Peter "you're trying to be smart. As usual!" He and Lucy started down to the river. Rebecca put her hands on her hips.

"Come on Susan," she said. Susan hung back stubbornly until a familiar and terrifying sound came from the woods behind them.

A wolf's howl.

Susan quickly rushed forward and passed Rebecca. The Beavers leapt from ledge to ledge, reaching the river about the same time as Peter and Lucy. Rebecca and Susan stood behind them. The cracking ice had drawn even closer to the waterfall, and not much was left for them to cross on.

"Do we just go for it?" asked Rebecca. Peter, still holding Lucy's hand, stepped out with one foot onto the ice. It snapped under him and a gust of icy spray shot into the air! Lucy and Peter quickly backed away.

"Wait," said Mr. Beaver "maybe I should go first."

"Maybe you should," said Peter nervously, and Mr. Beaver set out with caution. He broke the remaining ice into pieces to act like stepping stones so they could across the river.

"You've been sneaking second helpings, haven't you?" called Mrs. Beaver.

"Well, you never know which meal's gonna be your last!" replied Mr. Beaver. Mrs. Beaver chuckled with annoyance and set out onto the ice as well. "Especially with your cooking," said Mr. Beaver in a quieter tone. Mrs. Beaver's head flew up, indicating she had heard him anyway.

Looking determined, Peter stepped out again onto the ice with Lucy. Once they were out on the ice and away from the rocky cliff, Susan followed and then Rebecca. Rebecca slipped her compass into her coat pocket so she would not lose it. Ahead of her, Lucy slipped and screamed. Rebecca's left foot slid across the ice and she planted her other foot to keep her balance.

"If Mum only knew what we were doing," said Susan to no one in particular. Peter turned his head sharply towards her.

"Mum's not here," he said shortly, and kept walking. Rebecca leapt to another chunk of ice when falling icicles from the waterfall caught her attention and she looked up. Wolves were running along the top of the waterfall, overtaking them!

"Oh no!" cried out Lucy.

"Run!" shouted Peter. The children started running, leaping from ice piece to ice piece.

"Hurry!" cried Susan. Three wolves ran down the rocks at the side of the waterfall, one of which Rebecca recognized as the leader. He leapt down from an overhanging rock and landed squarely on the ice in front of them, snapping his teeth. Lucy screamed! The group stopped running and they looked behind them. More wolves were gathered on the ice and river bank behind them. They were surrounded.

Mr. Beaver bared his claws and snarled at the wolf standing by the leader. The wolf pounced, biting him on the neck. "No!" cried Mrs. Beaver. Without thinking, Rebecca dropped the sack of supplies and quickly drew her sword. The wolf behind the leader fixed its amber eyes on her.

"Peter!" shouted Lucy. Peter drew his sword as well.

"Put the swords down children," said the leader in his rough and callused voice "someone could get hurt." He slowly sauntered forward, making the children slowly back away from him.

"Don't worry about me," called Mr. Beaver "run him through!" The wolf bit him harder. The wolf behind the leader advanced forward too.

"Leave now while you can," said the leader "and your brother leaves with you." Rebecca froze. What had happened to Joy? Why didn't he mention her? Susan tried to make Peter put his sword down.

"Stop Peter, maybe we should listen to him!" she shouted. The wolf chuckled.

"Smart girl," he remarked. Rebecca briefly glared at Susan.

"Don't listen to him! Kill him, kill him now!" called Mr. Beaver. Rebecca flicked her eyes from the leader to the wolf behind him, who grinned at her like he knew what she was thinking.

"Oh, come on," said the leader "this isn't your war. All my Queen wants is for you to take your family and go," he said to Peter.

"Look," shouted Susan "just because some man in a red coat hands you a sword, it doesn't make you a hero. Just drop it!" she screamed. Rebecca looked back. They were on the last piece of ice before they would end up in the water. She had to do something!

"No, Peter!" called Mr. Beaver. "Narnia needs you! Cut him when you still have a chance!" Susan looked away, furious. The wolf was almost touching the tip of Peter's sword.

"What's it gonna be, Son of Adam?" asked the leader. "I won't wait forever." Indecision covered Peter's face but Rebecca had made up her mind. "And neither will the river!" added the wolf.

Rebecca charged. "Maros!" called the leader. The amber-eyed wolf pounced, knocking her down with her back to the ice. They slid together towards the base of the waterfall and Rebecca drove her sword into its side. The wolf went limp.

"Peter!" screamed Lucy. Rebecca tried to crawl out from under the wolf's body. She heard icicles breaking and the ice was cracking. Icy mist filled the air. Someone suddenly pushed the dead wolf off her.

"Come on!" shouted Peter. He gave her a hand up and she saw the other wolves were running to the safety of the riverbank. Susan and Lucy were still standing up on the edge of the ice, Susan holding onto Lucy's shoulders. The waterfall burst behind them. "Susan! Lucy!" shouted Peter. Water swept Rebecca's legs out from under her.

"Peter!" screamed his sisters before they disappeared from their sight. A great wave crashed down on them, hurling them into the depths of the river. The icy water shot up Rebecca's nose and stung her skin. She clung to her sword and shot to the surface, breaking through the cold water and gasping for air. It seemed she was caught in a current and Rebecca desperately wished she could get out her compass. She couldn't see any of the others.

"Peter!" she shouted. She sunk below the river's surface, inhaled some of the cold water and came up coughing. "Lucy! Susan!"

"Peter! Lucy!" called another voice and Rebecca swam towards it. She quickly spotted Susan looking around at the choppy waves. "Lucy!" she called again. Rebecca swam up beside her, treading water.

"Susan!" she called, and Susan twisted around in the water with a panic. At the sight of Rebecca however she relaxed.

"Oh, Rebecca," Susan breathed a sigh of relief. "Have you seen the others?"

"No," said Rebecca, bobbing up and down in the water. "Let's head to the bank." They swam for the far side of the river, their initial destination since earlier that day. The girls climbed out of the water and lay on their stomachs in the snow, gasping for breath. After coughing up some river water, Rebecca turned to Susan.

"Susan, what happened?" she asked. Susan sat up and pulled her coat tightly around herself.

"The waterfall burst, that's what happened," said Susan. "I tried to hold onto Lucy but the river pulled her out of my grasp." Susan turned accusing eyes towards Rebecca. "If you hadn't tried to attack that wolf maybe Peter would have made up his mind and taken us home." Rebecca forced herself to sit further up on the bank.

"What do you mean?" asked Rebecca angrily. "Peter didn't know what to do. It was you who was trying to force Peter to make up his mind! How could you listen to the leader of the Witch's Secret Police when the Witch is holding Joy and Edmund prisoner?"

"It was logical, and the safe way to get out of here," said Susan.

"What about faith in Aslan? What about doing what's right?" asked Rebecca. Susan looked away from her and further down the bank. Her frustrated and somewhat guilty expression quickly changed into relief and joy.

"Peter!" she called and got to her feet. Rebecca looked over and saw Peter climbing out of the river. She got to her feet as well and the two girls rushed over to him. When they reached him, Rebecca noticed the Beavers climbing onto the bank. Susan helped Peter up while Mr. Beaver shook his fur and said "Fluffy." Peter quickly hugged Susan tightly, and his eyes sought out Rebecca as Susan stepped back. Peter then looked around.

"Where's Lucy?" he asked, the colour draining from his face. Rebecca went pale with fear and quickly scanned the river.

"Lucy!" called Susan hoarsely, throat raw with river water. "Lucy!" she called again.

"Lucy!" shouted Rebecca. Peter looked too scared to say a word.

"I'm over here!" came Lucy's voice behind them. Everyone whirled around. Lucy was walking slowly towards them, soaked to the skin, trying to pull her dripping sweater around her. It looked like she had lost her coat in the river. The three older children breathed an enormous sigh of relief.

"Don't you worry dear," said Mr. Beaver "your brother's got you well looked after." Peter took off his coat and wrapped it around Lucy's shoulders, trying to do the buttons up with his shaking hands.

"You had us all incredibly worried Lucy," said Peter. Susan wrapped an arm around Lucy's shoulders and held her close. Rebecca smiled at the three, and wished Joy was with her now. As if he had read her mind, Peter looked up at her from where he knelt before Lucy. "Why did you charge at that wolf?" he asked. Susan and Lucy turned questioning faces to Rebecca, who looked around at all the faces.

"The leader of the wolf pack never mentioned Joy," said Rebecca. "He said, 'Leave now while you can and your brother leaves with you.' I needed to know what happened to her, and that wolf lurking behind the leader knew what I was thinking. I was so worried and so angry that I charged and," she stopped, looking at the sword hanging by her side.

"By killing him, you'll never find out what happened to her," said Susan. Rebecca looked angrily at her.

"I will defend Joy at the risk of my own life," she argued. "I charged at the leader and instead that wolf pounced on me. I had to defend myself!"

"She's right Susan," said Peter gravely, and Rebecca was surprised that Peter was standing up for her, but she also wondered if he regretted not slaying the leader when he had the chance. "Let's just move on," he said, and sheathed his sword. Susan turned away quickly while Peter tried to warm Lucy's hands with his own.

"Children!" called Mrs. Beaver. "I don't think you'll be needing those coats anymore!" Grateful for the distraction from Peter's obvious love for his siblings, Rebecca looked at what Mrs. Beaver was pointing at.

A cherry tree, blooming with little brown buds and pale pink flowers which covered every branch. The children moved away from the riverbank and walked underneath the branches grinning, for it was the first sign of spring they had seen in that frozen land. Rebecca then remembered the compass and fished it out of her pocket. She was surprised to find that it still worked. _It must be magic_, she thought.

Using the compass, the group headed into the forest and yet this journey was very different from the one before they had crossed the river. On every tree branch they could see buds peeking out from under the snow. Birds were singing from the tops of the trees, filling the forest with song as the children walked by. Or they would wish the travellers a "Good day!" before flying off into the increasingly bluer sky. Smaller forest animals would look out from their burrows or nests as the group passed. The snowy patches under their feet grew smaller and smaller as the temperature rose, and the thick fur coats soon became a burden to the children.

Unfortunately, they had lost their sack of supplies at the waterfall which Rebecca knew was partially her fault, so the group had to forego dinner but munched on some fresh berries and apples. The children all agreed the fruits were some of the best things they had ever eaten, for they were so crisp and fresh it would make your mouth water in vain if I described them anymore to you. After walking for some time, three fur coats and three sweaters were left behind in the forest; thrown over fallen logs and hanging on low branches as the group headed towards Aslan's Camp.


	8. Joy's Escape and Rebecca's Arrival

**Chapter Eight**

In the meantime, we must get back to Joy. It had been several hours since the Witch left with Edmund, and Joy had finally stopped crying. Her face felt clammy and cold, and rubbing it with her cold hands in an effort to stay warm did not help her situation. Her stomach felt so hollow that Joy thought it was going to crawl out of her body in search of food, and she didn't blame it. Outside her cell, she could hear the guard snoring loudly. The noise echoed through the nearly empty cell, ringing in Joy's ears and giving her an awful headache. She thought about waking him up so he would stop, when she suddenly got an idea.

Creeping forward, she headed for the grated door of the cell. The chain connected to her shackles barely made a sound as she moved on her hands and knees across the floor and up the steps. Through the door, she could see the guard who was slumped against the wall with the mallet sitting loosely in his right hand. She also saw the keys on an iron ring connected to the belt around the monster's waist, just within arm's reach. Pressing herself against the iron bars, she reached out and her fingers closed around one of the keys.

The sound of claws on ice clattered over her head and Joy froze. The guard grunted and opened his eyes. Joy quickly let go of the key and pulled her hand tight to her chest, but it was too late. "Well, the Daughter of Eve is trying to escape!" said the guard as he got to his feet. Joy scrambled backwards, crawling like a crab down the steps.

"Please let me go!" she cried. "I've done nothing!"

"You trespassed on the Queen's property," said the guard. "You're staying here!" Joy's heart sank, and she couldn't bear to look up at him. Her only hope was that the guard would quickly fall asleep once more so she could try again. She drew her knees tight to her chest again to wait, when the guard shouted "Hey!" She heard a slash of metal and Joy looked up to see the guard's back slam into the grated doors. He groaned loudly and slumped to the floor, and Joy could hear the grates bending against his weight. She plucked up her courage to speak.

"What's going on out there?" asked Joy. Someone, whom Joy could not see very well, dragged the guard's body away from the doors and then a familiar figure appeared in the bent doorway. Joy gasped. "Mr. Fox!" she said.

"Joy!" said the fox, grinning. A faun dressed in armour with a helmet that allowed his horns to peek through on top of his head, appeared through the grate as well. He was holding a sword, the keys and the mallet. He unlocked the door and Mr. Fox trotted towards her. "I'm so glad you're safe," he said. Joy smiled with relief.

"What are you doing here, Mr. Fox?" asked Joy.

"Me and Gregoire," he pointed at the faun with a paw "are here to bring you back to Aslan's Camp."

"Aslan's Camp?" asked Joy, and Mr. Fox. nodded. The faun knelt beside Joy and pounded the mallet against the nails. Once he stopped pounding, Joy asked "How did you know I was here?" Gregoire gently removed the shackles from her ankles.

"We have been watching the castle," said Mr. Fox. "When your sister said that you and Edmund had gone to the Witch's castle, I ran to Aslan's Camp and explained what had happened. He sent us here then to rescue you two." He looked at Gregoire. "Unfortunately, we could not get to Edmund in time but we are here to help you." Excitement warmed Joy to her toes as she took in his words. Aslan sent them to rescue her?! Then a sobering thought crept into her mind.

"Why would the Witch leave me behind?" asked Joy. Gregoire and Mr. Fox looked at each other briefly before the faun spoke for the first time.

"The Witch will want to know why you're here," said the faun in a soft voice "so she would do anything to get the information out of you." Joy swallowed hard when she realized what he was implying.

"But, why?" asked Joy as Gregoire helped her stand up and they moved towards the cell door.

"You're a human," said Mr. Fox, interrupting her. "That's enough reason for the Witch to want to kill you." Gregoire pushed open the cell door and the group ran to the stairs and up the spiraling staircase. They ran down the hallway and came into the Great Hall. Joy looked around sharply for wolves but Mr. Fox assured her that they were gone, looking for her sister and the Kings and Queens. "The wolves have no reason to come back here unless they want to face some kind of punishment for failure," he said. They continued down the main staircase, out the castle door, then across the threshold and into the courtyard. Joy stumbled down the steps, stopping at the horrific sight before her.

Mr. Tumnus stood a few feet away as a stone statue. A fresh blanket of snow covered his head and shoulders, and he stood in such a pitiful position that Joy felt fresh tears rush to her eyes. "No," she whispered. "Not Mr. Tumnus!" She ran towards the statue but Gregoire grabbed her gently by the arm and held her back.

"Come, let's go," he said softly, and Joy allowed him to pull her away and they ran across the courtyard. Outside the gate, a chestnut horse with a white star on his forehead stood saddled and bridled, waiting for them in the snow. "This is Philip," said Gregoire "mount up." Gasping for breath and exhausted from the running and lack of food, Joy put her shaking foot into the stirrup. She tried to remember something from those riding lessons last summer but was unable to climb onto the horse's back.

"You can do it Joy," said a new voice. Joy looked up to see the horse looking at her.

"You are a Talking Horse?" she asked. Philip nodded.

"Yes, now get on," he said patiently. Joy pushed off the ground, and with the help of Gregoire's grip on her elbow, she finally swung into the saddle. Mr. Fox leapt up and sat across Joy's lap.

"Ready," he said before lying down and digging his claws into the leather saddle. Joy barely had a chance to grip the reins before Philip neighed and broke out into a gallop. Gregoire ran alongside them, easily keeping up with the horse's pace. They charged across the snowy valley, away from the castle and into the woods.

"Will you relax on the reins Joy?" asked Philip between breaths. "I know where I'm going." Joy reluctantly let the reins go limp in her hands.

"Sorry Philip," she said. Philip only whinnied in response and Joy proceeded to look around. They were riding down the steep slope she and Edmund had climbed only the night before, and Philip was weaving through the trees with great speed and precision. Gregoire looked up at Joy every so often to make sure she would not fall off, and Mr. Fox kept on sniffing the air as if he was trying to sniff out danger before it reached their little group.

They rode down into the valley, around the foot of some mountains and now found themselves crossing a wide plain with fading footprints to their left. Joy noticed the cold breeze in her face was growing warmer, and the snow seemed to be growing slushier underneath Philip's hooves. "Is this spring?" she asked, looking around as Philip charged into the woods again.

"Yes, with Aslan's return and the Kings and Queens' arrival, the Witch's power is starting to weaken," said Mr. Fox, grinning widely. "It's only a matter of time before the battle." Battle. The fight against the Witch. After everything with the Witch and Edmund, Joy wanted to see her defeated.

"I want to help in the battle Mr. Fox," said Joy "do you think Aslan would let me?" Mr. Fox stared up at her, looking very surprised.

"You, Joy?" exclaimed the fox. "You're only a young girl." Mrs. Badger's fate flashed through her mind. She then thought of the one hundred years of winter and felt angry when she remembered the pain of slamming into the icy wall of the dungeon.

"I'm almost twelve Mr. Fox," said Joy with pride. "And besides, after what I've been through," then, Mr. Fox's ears stood straight up. "What is it?" asked Joy.

"Shush!" he said. Philip slackened his pace and came to a stop in the middle of the dark woods. Snow was falling off branches all around them, and Joy could see green grass peeking through the snow. She could hear the sound of rushing water in the distance so she figured they must be approaching a river, when growls nearby caught her attention. Joy looked off to her left, scared to see if what she heard was right.

Wolves stood in the clearing nearby, Joy thought there must have been about six or seven of them. One shook his fur, like a dog does when it gets wet, and the pack was gathered together like they were talking about something. Suddenly one of the wolves' heads shot up, and Joy could see it sniffing the air. Mr. Fox stood up in her lap and dove out of the saddle. Landing on the ground with all four paws, he looked up at Philip.

"Get the Lady safely to Aslan's Camp!" he ordered. "Take her to Aslan!"

"May Aslan go with you Fox," replied Philip, and Mr. Fox nodded. He briefly looked up at Joy and she suddenly realized what he was about to do.

"No, don't do it," she protested. She couldn't bear to lose her first Narnian friend. But Mr. Fox ran towards the wolves.

"Gents! Over here!" he called. Gregoire ran in the opposite direction, running around the other side of the pack.

"Surrender! In the name of Aslan!" shouted the faun. Beneath her, Philip took off running again and Joy twisted around in the saddle.

"Mr. Fox!" called out Joy. She watched him until the bright orange fox was surrounded by half a dozen grey and black wolves. Gregoire charged at the pack, sword raised, and one of the wolves leapt at his throat! Joy looked away as the faun's body disappeared out of view. Joy didn't know her body had that many tears inside her, but she cried at what Mr. Fox and Gregoire did for her.

Suddenly, Philip plunged downhill. Joy grabbed the saddle horn and struggled to stay on Philip's back. They were galloping down a steep slope, heading towards the rushing river in front of them. Joy panicked. "Philip!" she cried out.

"Hold on!" called back Philip. He thundered across the tree-covered river bank and rode straight into the river!

* * *

The group emerged from the forest, with a river on their left and large boulders on their right. As they passed below the boulder, Rebecca heard the sound of a horn from the top and it echoed loud and clear across the valley in front of them. All throughout the valley, crimson and gold striped tents were set up and Narnians of all animals and creatures were moving from tent to tent. Rebecca spotted a very busy blacksmith shop and weapons maker, with a glowing forge set up in the centre of a group of tents. She also spotted racks of spears, dozens of shiny new helmets and breastplates, and beyond these were training areas for practice with the weapons. Even up on the hills surrounding the valley! Leaves brushed her left hand, and Rebecca watched the leaves form into the shape of a woman for a moment, then disperse into individual leaves again.

As they approached the entrance to the camp, Rebecca tucked the compass away into the pocket of her skirt and rested her left hand on the sword hilt at her hip. She was walking on Peter's left, while Susan, Lucy and the Beavers were on Peter's right. They all paused for a moment before entering the camp. "What will we do when we meet Aslan?" asked Rebecca.

"I'm sure the right words will come to you," said Mrs. Beaver. "Now let's get on, there's no point in lingering when we've been looking to get here all day." The Beavers marched forward a few paces and turned back.

"Come on humans!" called Mr. Beaver, and Peter bravely stepped forward.

"Come on everyone," he said, and the others quickly followed. As they walked down the main road leading into the camp, all the Narnians stopped what they were doing and stared at the group. Rebecca looked behind them and saw the Narnians were following them wherever it was they were going. She also noticed the stares and felt the nerves build up in her stomach. She knew what they were thinking: if the prophecy called for two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve, what was a third Daughter of Eve doing here?

"Why are they all staring at us?" asked Susan through her teeth as she smiled as the Narnians. Rebecca listened in, grateful for the distraction.

"Maybe they think you look funny," said Lucy. Peter chuckled and Susan tried not to look offended. Peter then looked over at Rebecca. All her determination of asking Aslan to rescue Joy and make the Pevensies fulfill the prophecy buckled under the scrutinizing gazes of the Narnians, and she gave Peter a nervous smile, but he saw right through her. He grabbed her right hand and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze before letting go as they reached the centre of the camp. Rebecca tried not to overreact but her heart was ready to bounce out of her chest with the giddiness of a school girl.

Aslan's tent stood in the very centre of the camp, under the shadow of a towering hill behind it. In front of the tent, stood a centaur with long black hair and a black horse's body. Rebecca could see he was ready to defend Aslan at the cost of his life, and he regarded Rebecca with suspicion. The group stopped several feet away from the threshold where the tent stood at the top of several steps cut into the rock. With the centaur staring at them, Peter drew his sword and raised it in salute towards the tent.

"We have come to see Aslan," he said. Gasps and murmurs surrounded the children from all sides. Rebecca stared uneasily at the tent and watched the flaps flutter slightly before going still. The centaur looked towards the tent, and slowly bowed. The sound of chinking armour behind them made the children looked back and saw all the Narnians bowing as well. Turning back towards the tent, Rebecca saw a golden paw step through the tent flaps, followed by a lion. But not just any lion, Aslan himself. He was great and powerful, and more beautiful than anything Rebecca had ever seen in her life. Chills rippled down her back as she stared at him, and Rebecca dropped to her knees. The others bowed as well while the Beavers lay prostrate with their paws outstretched in front of them.

"Welcome Peter, Son of Adam. Welcome Susan, Lucy and Rebecca, Daughters of Eve," said Aslan in a deep, rich voice. At the mention of her name, Rebecca raised her head and felt strangely lighter than she did before. "And welcome to you Beavers," said Aslan, and the two Beavers nodded and smiled "you have my thanks. But where is the fourth and the other sister?" At the mention of Joy, Rebecca's smile fell and all the children stood up.

"That's why we're here Sir," said Peter. "We need your help." He sheathed his sword.

"We had a little trouble along the way," said Susan.

"Our brother and her sister," Peter gestured to Rebecca "have been captured by the White Witch."

"Captured?" asked Aslan. "How could this happen?" The children glanced nervously at one another. Rebecca could offer no explanation about Joy's reasoning so she said nothing. Mr. Beaver finally spoke up.

"The Son of Adam betrayed them, Your Majesty," he said. Gasps and murmurs surrounded the children again, only this time they weren't very pleasant sounding. The centaur who had greeted the children by standing guard over Aslan's tent said, "Then he has betrayed us all!" Aslan cut him off with a growl.

"Peace Oreius," said Aslan "I'm sure there's an explanation." He seemed to be staring at Peter.

"It's my fault really," said Peter "I was too hard on him." Rebecca could hear the regret in his voice and felt it in her heart as well. She had been too hard on Joy lately, but she had thought they'd reconciled yesterday before reaching Mr. Tumnus' cave. Had she done something wrong since then to hurt Joy? Rebecca took hold of Peter's hand to comfort him while Susan put her hand on Peter's shoulder and faced Aslan.

"We all were," she admitted to Aslan.

"Sir, he's our brother," said Lucy quietly.

"I know, dear one," said Aslan, looking at Lucy "but that only makes the betrayal all the worse. This may be harder than you think." He rested his heavy gaze on Peter again, then turned to Rebecca, who quickly let go of Peter's hand.

"Sir, what about my sister?" asked Rebecca, summoning her courage. She took a step forward. "I'm certain she did not betray us," at least Rebecca thought she was certain "but can't something be done to rescue her?" Aslan gave her a gentle smile.

"We will do our best, Rebecca," he said. At that moment two leopards appeared on either side of Aslan. "Take the Son of Adam and Daughters of Eve to their tents," said Aslan "then fit them with Narnian clothes." The leopards nodded in response and went to the children. One motioned for Peter to follow him, and the other lead the girls away. Before Rebecca followed the leopard, she looked back and caught one last glimpse of Aslan's golden fur as he disappeared into his tent. She was tempted to pull out the compass and see what it would tell her to do, but there was no point to such thoughts.

The leopard leads the girls to two tents in a quiet section of the camp away from the blacksmiths, which was half-hidden by a rock wall behind them. As Rebecca entered hers, she saw not one but two beds set up inside. No doubt they had been expecting Joy to be with her. Rebecca grew angry with herself and sat down on the bed to her right. Her sister was inside the Witch's castle and Rebecca had spent half the journey here staring at Peter from behind his back and wondering what her purpose in Narnia was. She groaned in frustration and then the leopard poked its head inside. Along with it came a badger holding a silver food tray. Rebecca's mouth watered at the sight.

"You are to come to the wardrobe tent as soon as you've finished eating, Rebecca," said the leopard, and then it left. The badger set the tray down on the washstand and left as well. Rebecca eyed the tray before getting up and eating its contents. The food was so tasty she forced herself to eat slowly, but it did no good for the tray was empty before she knew it. Once she had finished eating, the leopard appeared again and she followed it to the wardrobe tent, where a female centaur named Ember, along with Lucy and Susan, tried on Narnian dresses.

They ranged in every colour, and several sizes. Susan selected a dark green with silver accents on the sleeves and bodice, along with a leather belt for around her hips. Lucy picked a grey dress, with a silver undershirt to be worn under the bodice and extended the sleeves to reach Lucy's wrists. A stitched pattern of vines and flowers could be seen at the edges of the sleeves and the bodice of the dress. But Rebecca picked her favourite: a gown out of a dusty rose colour with gold accents on the sleeves. Tiny golden flowers could be seen at the top of the bodice and along the hem. And best of all, it had a pocket for her compass!

But before the girls could get into their selected gowns, Ember insisted they all have a bath and wash their hair in the pond just behind the tent, and all the girls felt quite grubby indeed the more they looked at their beautiful dresses. One by one, the girls quickly scrubbed out in the pond and returned, and another centaur named Echo would style their hair after getting into their dresses. She took out their bobby pins and asked Susan and Rebecca if they could use these metal picks to make weapons, Rebecca immediately agreed while Susan hesitated. Echo talked with the girls as she brushed and styled their hair. She asked them about their journey there and what their world was like. After several failed attempts to describe a motorcar and the Tube, Echo finished all the girls' hair and handed a small silver mirror out for each girl to take. Rebecca gasped with surprise when the mirror got to her.

A beautiful girl with golden hair stared back at her through the mirror. The hairstyle with the braids and curls made her blue eyes stand out, and Echo laughed. "You humans all reacted the same way," she said. Rebecca looked up dumbstruck from the mirror.

"I just can't believe that's me!" she exclaimed, handing back the mirror.

"Yes," said Lucy "and wait until Peter takes one look at you." Rebecca was certain her blush was as rosy as her dress.

"No, no," said Rebecca, shaking her head. She knew it was no use denying it but she decided to try anyway. "I," then Susan interrupted her.

"Rebecca," she said, "I'm sorry for snapping at you at the river. You were right, after seeing Aslan face to face I realized I shouldn't have doubted him." Rebecca saw the sincerity in her expression and smiled at her.

"It's alright," said Rebecca "and I'm sorry for lecturing you Susan." Susan smiled gratefully.

"All is forgiven," she said. Lucy came up between them and linked their arms through hers.

"Come on, let's go!" said Lucy, and she pulled girls out of the tent.

"Farewell ladies!" called Echo. The girls all giggled and laughed and made their way around to the back of the tent where the pond was. A few towels still hung on the nearby tree branches, along with the girls' weapons which were heaped in a pile at the base of another tree. However, Susan's horn hung from a low-hanging tree branch, for she did not want to get it dirty. Rebecca looked at her reflection in the water and smoothed the front of her dress.

"It's truly the most beautiful dress I have ever owned," she said.

"It's a pity that Peter isn't here to see you," teased Lucy, and Rebecca tried to frown at her but her lips wanted to smile instead. Also, under the shade of the trees there was no point in blaming her red face on the hot sun.

"Okay, you two win this time," said Rebecca, and she gave Lucy and Susan a look. The sisters grinned at each other and broke out laughing. All the girls removed their Narnian shoes, and Lucy and Susan headed for the sandy beach of the pond while Rebecca hung back and sat down at the base of a tree. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and listened. Lucy and Susan were talking about home and their dresses, and then Lucy called Susan boring. Rebecca's eyes flew open, and she had a feeling that's what Joy would call her. She had been boring lately, wrapped up in her friends and her drawings, and too busy to pay much attention to her little sister. She sighed and knew that she owed Joy an apology once Joy got here. Whether it was a rescue team sent by Aslan, or if she had to storm the gates herself. Her sword lay next to her, and as she traced the sword hilt with her fingers, she noticed it was a lion's head with the mouth open and roaring and realized it was Aslan.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Susan and Lucy broke out into a splash fight. Rebecca got to her feet, abandoning the sword at the base of the tree, and joined in. The girls splashed each other again and again, soaking each other through to the skin. They couldn't stop laughing, especially when Rebecca slipped and sat up to her waist in the water. Finally, when their skirts could not take anymore water, the girls slowly climbed out. Rebecca was the last one, wringing out her skirt as she walked. "Could you pass me my towel please Susan?" Susan laughed and reached for her own instead. She pulled it down from the tree branch and screamed.

A wolf! It gnashed its teeth at Susan. Lucy screamed as well as another came out from behind Lucy's towel. Rebecca dropped her wet skirt onto the grass, recognizing both from the waterfall. One of them, the one closest to Susan, was the leader of the pack. "Please don't try to run," he said, walking forward. "We're tired," he started.

"And we prefer to kill you quickly," finished the other wolf. They both growled and got ready to pounce. The girls all looked at Susan's horn, and Rebecca made eye contact with Susan. She jerked her head towards the horn and Susan quickly threw her towel at the wolf, along with Lucy. Rebecca ran up the slope, grabbed the horn and tossed it to Susan. She then threw the last towel at the wolves and pulled Lucy to the furthest tree.

"Come on Lucy!" said Rebecca. She linked her fingers together, making a foothold and helped Lucy climb up into the tree branches. Susan blew the horn, and a strong and sweet sound filled the woods all around them. _Help, please come!_ was all Rebecca could think as she gave Lucy a final boost. The wolves got free of the towels and bounded towards them. Susan dropped the horn, leaving it in the dirt and started climbing the tree alongside Rebecca. Susan had barely made it to the second branch when Rebecca's hand slipped! "Rebecca!" screamed Lucy.

Rebecca landed hard on her left ankle and fell on her side. She twisted herself onto her stomach and looked for her sword and spotted it only a couple feet away. She crawled forward and then a sharp pain broke out in her ankle. "Ow!" she cried out, and after looking over her shoulder, saw one of the wolves was biting her ankle! It pulled her away from her sword and Rebecca screamed in pain.

"Give up human girl!" said the leader, and he trotted into view, blocking her from getting to her sword. "It's over for you, human," and he gnashed his teeth at her.

"Go away," said Rebecca through gritted teeth. "It will be over for you once help comes!" The wolf at her ankle bit harder and Rebecca gasped as painful tears pricked her vison.

"You think you have a reason to be here, but you don't," said the leader, and Rebecca froze at the sound of the words. "You killed Maros," the leader stalked closer "one of the most loyal members of the Secret Police! For that you deserve to die, human!" It growled and got ready to pounce. Rebecca kicked her ankle free and felt the wolf's sharp teeth tear at her flesh. The leader sprung forward! Rebecca wrapped her arms around her face.

"Get back!" shouted Peter. The wolf's claws scratched her arm and she heard a growl. Rebecca gently moved her injured arm and looked up to see the wolves sauntering towards Peter. Rebecca went weak with relief and dropped her head onto the grass.

"Come on!" taunted the leader. The other wolf kept on snapping and snarling, trying to divert Peter's attention. "We've already been through this before. We both know you haven't got it in you!"

"Peter!" called Susan from the tree. "Watch out!" Rebecca brushed the hair out of her face to watch. She tried to sit up but her muscles felt like noodles and both her arm and ankle hurt.

A group of Narnians came rushing across the river connected to the pond, led by Oreius and Aslan. Aslan stopped the second wolf, holding him down underneath his giant paw. Rebecca tried to reach for her sword and Oreius raised his sword towards the wolf leader. "No!" said Aslan. "Stand your weapons. This is Peter's battle." Peter turned back to the wolf, cornering it with his sword.

"You may think you're a King," said the wolf "but you're going to die," it crouched "like a dog!" It sprang forward. Peter took the blow full force, crying out as he did and fell backwards with the wolf's body on top of him.

"Peter!" All the girls screamed. Rebecca pulled herself up slowly, leaning against the tree as Susan and Lucy jumped out of the branches. The two sisters raced across to where Peter lay and pushed the wolf's body off him. Peter sat up, gasping for breath, then looked in the faces of his sisters. Susan and Lucy quickly engulfed him in hugs and Rebecca smiled, relieved that he was alright. Aslan let the other wolf go, and it ran away into the woods barking.

"After him," commanded Aslan "he'll lead you to Edmund." Oreius nodded and led the group of Narnians forward as they ran after the wolf. "Peter," called Aslan, and all the children all looked at him. "Clean your sword."

Peter pulled his sword free from the wolf's body and wiped it clean on the grass. "Now, kneel before me," instructed Aslan. Peter knelt, with his forehead almost touching the sword hilt in front of him. Aslan touched his right shoulder, and then his left. "Rise, Sir Peter Wolf's-Bane, Knight of Narnia." Peter stood up and looked with excitement at his sisters, who smiled proudly back. He sheathed his sword and Rebecca smiled from her place against the tree. She tried to take a step forward, then gasped from the pain in her ankle. "Ow," she gasped, and fell back against the tree. Looking down, she noticed the blood had soaked through the hem of her skirt.

"Rebecca!" Peter ran forward, grabbing her upper arms. Rebecca gasped in pain and pulled away from him. Concern quickly covered his face. "You're hurt," he said, and looked down at his left hand which was now covered in blood. Rebecca winced and tried not to stare at him.

"Rebecca," said Lucy "are you alright?" she asked with concern. Rebecca tried to smile at her but a wave of pain swept over her arm and ankle, and all she could do was bite her lip instead.

"Son of Adam," said Aslan "take Rebecca to the healer's tent."

"But, Aslan?" said Lucy, stepping forward. She pulled the bottle of healing cordial out of its pouch which sat at the foot of a tree nearby. "I could heal her ankle with this," she said.

"Child, you must save that for the great battles and wars which are headed your way even now. But your friend's wound will heal quickly, I will make sure of that." Peter then looped his arm under Rebecca's uninjured arm and told her not to put pressure on the ankle. They slowly made their way around the pond and into the main section of the camp.

"Besides your ankle and your arm, is there anywhere else the wolf bit you?" asked Peter. Rebecca shook her head, trying to keep her injured arm close to her chest.

"He didn't bite my arm," she said, huffing and puffing while she tried to stay off her injured ankle. "He scratched it with his claws." She could see the blood on her sleeve and winced. So much for that beautiful dress she had picked out earlier. Peter then stopped walking.

"Do you need me to carry you?" he asked. Rebecca's face flushed at the idea.

"No, I'll be fine once I sit down," she said, then stumbled into the dirt. Peter instantly scooped her up in his arms and continued walking.

"I think you need help," he said.

"I can walk you know," she retorted. But her blush must have betrayed how she truly felt about the idea for Peter smiled at her.

"Yes, but I think you like it better this way," said Peter in a teasing tone that made her blush grow even more.

"I suppose you are right," she said, feigning surrender "after all, a King's subject should not contradict her ruler." Peter's shoulders fell slightly.

"Rebecca, I don't know about the whole prophecy thing," he said. "I talked to Aslan about it, and he said he would help us find Edmund and Joy, but he also asked me to consider fulfilling the prophecy to make all of Narnia safe."

"What did you say after that?" asked Rebecca.

"Nothing," he said. "After that I heard Susan's horn and took off running. And it's a good thing I got there when I did because," he sighed. "I only wish I had gotten there sooner."

"Peter, it's alright," said Rebecca, looking up at him. "While my wounds do hurt, at least I'm not dead." His grip on her tightened slightly and Rebecca rested her head on his shoulder. "And Peter, you would make an excellent King."

"I, I don't know," he said.

"Defeating the Witch will free Narnia and save Edmund and Joy from her clutches forever!" She stared at him, pain in her ankle forgotten. "I believe in you." He seemed to consider her words then resumed walking, and Rebecca had the feeling he no longer wanted to debate the subject.

At the healer's tent, a female kangaroo named Jamila tended to Rebecca's ankle and arm while Peter washed the blood off his hands outside. She cut the sleeve of Rebecca's dress at the shoulder, exposing her bare arm and smeared a thick, foul-smelling salve over both wounds. She then wrapped them in strips of linen cloth, ensuring no infection would set in. "How soon will it take my ankle to heal?" asked Rebecca as Peter entered the tent again.

"A few days, as long as you don't over exert yourself," said Jamila. "This salve works wonders on flesh wounds. You should be right as rain in a day or so." Jamila then wiped her hands on a clean cloth. "Come back tomorrow and I will change the bandages." Rebecca still did not get up.

"I mean, if the battle happens within the next few days, would I be able," Peter cut her off by clearing his throat and shaking his head. She glared at him, and he evenly stared back. The kangaroo finished and Rebecca thanked her and hobbled to the tent flap. Peter looped his arm around her shoulders again and helped her in the direction of her tent. Before Rebecca could bring up the subject of the battle, Lucy came running up to them.

"Rebecca, you left your sword at the pond," she said, holding them out towards her. "I thought you would want it with you." Rebecca grabbed it and belted it tight around her waist.

"Thank you, Lucy," she said. Lucy smiled at her and Peter and then ran off. Peter resumed helping her, and by now Rebecca was too tired to argue about the battle and couldn't wait to get back to her tent. Then, she saw Aslan walking towards them.

"Rebecca," he said once he reached them and both she and Peter stopped walking. "Your sister Joy has escaped from the Witch's castle." Rebecca let go of Peter and gasped. He still wrapped an arm around her waist so she wouldn't fall over, but Rebecca hardly noticed.

"Is she coming here?" asked Rebecca with nervous anticipation.

"Yes, I sent a party to get your sister out of the Witch's castle. She is here right now," Aslan smiled at her and happy tears filled Rebecca's eyes. She was so relieved and happy that Joy was safe that she wanted to hug the Great Lion himself. But somehow that didn't seem like the right thing to do. She hobbled forward and said, "Thank you Aslan." He seemed to understand what she wished and gave her a gentle smile. He then turned his great head away and looked towards the crowd of Narnians, and Rebecca frantically scanned the crowd for any sign of Joy.


	9. Joy's Arrival at Aslan's Camp

**Chapter Nine**

Philip and Joy hit the water with a tremendous splash. The cold water stung Joy's legs and waist as Philip tread deeper into the river and started swimming. She gripped the saddle tightly with both hands but the cold current rushing over them seemed to be trying to pry her hands away and carry her downstream. Beneath her, Philip struggled and kicked, trying to go straight across the river and was panting from the effort. "Don't worry, we'll make it," he said between breaths, but the words did little to comfort her. Out of the corner of her eye, Joy saw a large chunk of ice rushing towards them.

"Philip, look out!" she cried out and pointed to her left. Philip tried to swivel his body but it was too late and the ice slammed into Joy's shoulder, throwing her off balance. She splashed down on her right side in the water, and floated upside down before clawing to the surface. She came up coughing and to her dismay, realized Philip had continued swimming, not realizing he was leaving his passenger behind. "Philip!" she called. Another ice piece floated towards her and Joy quickly dove under the waves. She saw Philip's kicking hooves swimming further away from her and she shot to the surface.

"Philip!" she screamed. She tried swimming forward but the dreadful current was dragging her downstream. Joy struggled and kicked but the current refused to yield. Across the river, Philip was climbing out onto the riverbank with his coat slick and shiny in the increasingly brighter sunshine. He shook his head, sending the loose reins flying and they wrapped around his neck. He seemed to say something to the absent passenger on his back and then craned his neck around to discover Joy was gone!

"Joy! Lady Joy!" he called out. Joy tried to swim towards him again but instead was carried further downstream.

"Philip!" Joy waved with her free arm. "I'm here!" Then she felt something wrap around her waist, something that felt like a current but was warmer and gentler than the current she was stuck in. To her astonishment, she realized it was pulling her through the water towards Philip! The horse then spotted her and cantered down the river bank towards her.

"Hang on Joy!" he shouted. Whatever was holding Joy pulled her effortlessly through the water and gently lifted her up and onto the bank. Joy lay on her stomach, coughing river water and then looked up to study her rescuer.

It was a woman whose entire form was made of water. Joy could see the constant flow in the rushing rapids of her hair and two calm and clear pools made her eyes which Joy found mesmerizing. Her body melted into the flow of the river, making it seem like she had no legs at all. For a moment, Joy wondered if she was a mermaid. The woman said no word but smiled gently at Joy.

"Thank you," said Joy breathlessly. "Thank you for rescuing me." The water-woman nodded, then dissolved into the rapidly flowing water. Joy scrambled to the edge of the riverbank to get one last glimpse of her but saw nothing. Philip trotted over to her.

"I'm so sorry!" he cried. "I did not realize you were gone until it was too late, I am so sorry Joy," Philip hung head in shame.

"No Philip," said Joy, tearing her eyes away from the river "that water-woman helped me so I'm safe now."

"Praise be to Aslan," said Philip, his eyes closing with relief. When he opened them, he told Joy the woman was called a naiad Joy, one of the daughters of the River God.

"Oh," said Joy as she climbed to her feet. She looked around and noticed the snow was rapidly melting underfoot. No more ice pieces floated past them and the river water was gaining a brighter, bluer colouring. Buds were blossoming on every tree and blooming at an alarming rate, and Joy could hear birds singing from whichever which way she turned. It was all so beautiful she felt no rush to leave the river's edge. Philip suddenly whinnied, forcing Joy from her thoughts and she looked up at the horse with annoyance. "What is it?" she asked.

"Joy, look!" He was pointing off to their right with his nose. Joy followed the direction with her eyes and saw the Witch, the dwarf, and Edmund standing on a cliff above the waterfall. So, they hadn't caught up with the others after all! Joy felt a rush of anger as she stared at the Witch and dwarf, but something like pity drowned out those feelings as she looked at Edmund. When he gave a smug smile to the dwarf however, her anger rose again. She watched as they looked down at the waterfall and they all turned around when something behind them caught their attention. "Come on," said Philip "before they look downstream."

"Right," said Joy, and the two quickly retreated into woods. Joy stuck her foot into the stirrup and after several attempts, climbed onto Philip's back and they were off again. This time, hardly any snow was left for them to trample, but fresh green grass and wild flowers danced in the breeze as the pair rode past. Many types of birds sat in the trees and said "Hello" to Joy as they rode by underneath the branches. Philip kept on sniffing the air as he ran, and twice he halted to eat some new grass before Joy could stop him.

While the beautiful spring sights flew past the pair, Joy marvelled at how much winter had melted compared to yesterday. She guessed with the Pevensies' and Aslan's arrival in Narnia, the Witch's magic was finally weakening! Whatever Aslan was like, he sounded very powerful and strong. "I wonder what Aslan is like," said Joy to herself. Did he know why she and Rebecca were brought to Narnia? Based on everything she had heard about him she felt that he knew everything about everyone, and that thought brought both joy and shame to her heart. She looked down at the horse and remembered Philip must have seen him at the Camp. "Philip, what's he like?" she asked.

"He's the Great Lion," said Philip, pride colouring through his tone "the Son of the Emperor over the Sea, King above all the Kings of Narnia," then Joy interrupted him.

"A lion!" she exclaimed, a wave of fear forcing her thoughts to come to a screeching halt. Why hadn't the Beavers' said anything to them! She gripped the saddle again until her knuckles went white. "I'm not sure I want to face Aslan after all," she said softly. "I don't know how to talk to a lion."

"Well, he's not a tame lion," said Philip, adding to Joy's fears "but he is good Joy. You can talk to him about anything and he will listen. Don't worry," he said. That made Joy feel a little better, if only a little is better than nothing. She let go of the saddle with her right hand and rubbed the horse's neck.

"Thank you, Philip," she said and he neighed in response. "How far is it now?" A warm breeze tossed her hair into her face.

"Not far Joy," said Philip, and he quickened his pace again.

They had gone on for about ten minutes when a rough voice behind them said "A Daughter of Eve!" Joy looked around; she recognized that voice from the Witch's castle and turned in the saddle. Two wolves came out of the bushes behind them and one of them was Maugrim! The other one thankfully was not Maros but he still grinned and trotted around to the other side of Philip, who had stopped when they heard the strange voice. "What are you doing out here, human?" Maugrim added a growl to the last word, and Joy grabbed the saddle horn again. She refused the answer the wolf and raised her chin to show she was not afraid.

"Heading to the lion's camp?" asked the other wolf with a sneer. Joy felt the blood drain from her face as fear took over, and she wished she had a rock or branch to defend herself. "How did you escape the Queen's dungeon?"

"I, I," said Joy haltingly and her tongue suddenly turned to lead.

"Did this horse and a fox help you?" asked Maugrim, and the other wolf crouched like it was ready to spring towards her if she gave the wrong answer.

"No," said Joy, and she quickly grabbed the reins, scared to know how Maugrim found out about Mr. Fox.

"Liar!" shouted Maugrim. The other wolf pounced, snapping at her arm.

"Philip!" she screamed.

"Vardan!" shouted Maugrim.

"Hang on Joy!" shouted Philip as he reared. Joy gripped the saddle again as Philip bolted. He galloped over flowering bushes and between the oncoming trees. The wolves kept on snapping at his heels, and more than once they tried to pull Joy out of the saddle but she leaned away from them each time. Philip then chose to run in a zig-zag pattern, but neither wolf let up on the chase.

"Give up," said Philip, and Joy was worried the horse would tire out before they'd reach Aslan's Camp.

"We won't give up that easily," huffed Maugrim behind them.

"Maybe you could try," said Philip in response. They rode quickly towards a large, sloping hill which was covered with trees. The other wolf, not Maugrim, let out a short howl behind them and the two wolves suddenly turned sharply to Joy's left and bounded off into the woods. Philip quickly came to a stop at the foot of the hill, panting hard and his legs shaking.

"Are you alright, Philip?" asked Joy, rubbing the horse's sweaty neck.

"I'm fine, I haven't done that much running in a long time," he said. Joy smiled at the horse, marveling at his bravery and how much he had done simply to bring her to Aslan's Camp. "I'll be alright in a minute."

"That's alright," said Joy, and she slid down off his back for a chance to stretch the cramp out of her legs from gripping Philip's body with her knees, not to mention the trembling in her limbs from the scare of the wolves. A small stream trickled through the grass and down between the trees to her right. Joy knelt, took a drink and splashed her hot face with the cool, refreshing water. Philip came up beside her and took a drink as well. "I hope those wolves don't come back," said Joy, and Philip nodded, too busy guzzling to answer. In the far-off distance, Joy thought she heard a scream and she stood up to look round.

All was quiet, fresh and green. The trees were now full of new leaves, and a thousand scents and sounds hit Joy at once. A bee buzzed by her before climbing up into a bluebell at the base of a tree. Philip looked up from his drink at the beautiful forest around them.

"I think I'm one of the lucky Talking Horses Joy," he said. "I get to see Narnia's first spring after one hundred years of winter." He pranced like a foal as he took in the sights around him, and Joy laughed happily, eager to forget about the wolves. Then, Philip stopped, with his hooves planted firmly in the new grass and was looking off to Joy's right. He trotted forward a few paces, then turned back to Joy with a horse's best imitation of a smile on his face.

"I think we found Aslan's Camp," he said. Joy's grin vanished and she slowly walked over to him, her heart pounding inside her chest. A wave of nerves clutched at her stomach and she felt like she was going to be sick. How was she going to face Rebecca? What would Lucy think of her after going off with Edmund to the Witch? And what about Aslan, what would he think of her? A breeze gently caressed her face and she thought _Deal with one problem at a time._ She mounted and Philip trotted around the base of the hill, out of the woods and around a rocky embankment where the valley widened out.

To Joy's left, crimson and gold striped tents filled the valley, stretching almost to the edge of the woods and a large rocky cliff overlooked the valley. To her right, Joy could see a few low hills, and beyond them lay the Great Eastern Sea with a strip of pale sand at the edge of it. On a rocky peninsula sat a great castle, which Joy barely got a chance to admire for Philip turned to the left and started trotting into the camp.

The camp was bustling with activity. Joy looked around at the weapons makers and blacksmiths, who barely looked up from their tools as she and Philip rode past. Her mouth watered when she saw trays of food being set up beside the welders, and her stomach rumbled so loudly that Philip let out a loud whinnying laugh in response, and several Narnians turned and stared at them. Philip continued walking forward but Joy caught snippets of what the Narnians were saying as she rode past.

"She was with the traitor, does that mean she's a traitor too?" said one dwarf. Joy's cheeks flushed and she hung her head.

"Let's let Aslan make that decision," said a Talking Dog, and Joy wished with all her heart she had not given into Edmund's dare in the first place. Philip continued past the blacksmiths and into a quieter section of camp off to the left off the main path.

"Don't listen to them Joy," he said, and Joy was grateful for the horse's words. The area she was riding into was quite different from the first section of camp. Here, several tents were bunched up together in groups, and the little groups were dotted all along the base of the rocky cliff. The pounding of hammers and metal on metal faded away as Philip came to a complete halt and Joy sat still with her mouth wide open.

The golden Lion, Aslan, was standing before them and watching the two with both gentle and intelligent green-gold eyes. He was so great and royal and beautiful that Joy could look at him only for a second before dropping her gaze to the saddle horn. "Joy, dismount," whispered Philip. Joy summoned all her courage and quickly slid out of the saddle. She fell to her knees before the Lion, and Philip bowed his head beside her with one foreleg stretched out towards the Lion.

"Welcome Joy, Daughter of Eve," said Aslan, and the sound of his voice calmed the nerves in her stomach and Joy dared to look up at him again. She noticed his face was not stern as she had expected, but kind and she could see wisdom in his expression. The Lion lifted his great gaze from her to Philip. "Welcome Philip," he said, "you have my thanks." Philip nodded, his head almost touching the ground. "What happened to Fox and Gregoire?" asked Aslan. Philip pulled himself up from his bow and Joy quickly did the same.

"Sir, Fox and Gregoire gave themselves over to the Witch's wolves to prevent Lady Joy from being captured," said Philip and Joy hung her head with shame. They had died for her, and she would never be able to thank them or see them again. Tears clouded her vison and Joy refused to look up. "It happened before we crossed the river early this afternoon."

"Both Gregoire and Fox have served Narnia well. Thank you for the report Philip, go get some rest," said Aslan. Philip bowed his head again and walked away. The nerves came back into Joy's stomach, and she slowly turned back to face the Lion. Under the weight of his gaze, she suddenly felt sorry for everything bad she ever said or done to Rebecca, Edmund, even Mum back home. Looking into the Lion's eyes, she said the first thing that came into her mind.

"I, I'm sorry Aslan," said Joy, bowing her head, unable to look into his eyes again.

"For what, Joy?" asked the Lion gently.

"For," Joy lifted her head and thought for a second "for everything. All that I said to Rebecca, Edmund, Mum…" her voice trailed off. "I really was a pig to all of them."

"Child," said Aslan "you take out your anger on others," Joy hung her head "but do not hold onto that bitterness." Shame covered Joy like a cloak, and she joined her hands together in front of her dirty dress. "Your sister loves you and your friends miss you; do not throw that away." The weight of his words pressed down on Joy's shoulders, for she had thrown it away when she followed Edmund out the Beaver's door. As Aslan was reading her mind, he asked her "What did you hope to gain out of meeting the Witch?"

"I don't know Aslan," said Joy "it was probably something stupid." As she spoke, she suddenly remembered what Edmund had said to her right before they headed into the woods. "Aslan, I'm sorry. I was dared by Edmund. He asked me if I was afraid and I said 'No.'" She dared to look up at the Lion. He looked stern now, and Joy remembered Philip saying Aslan was not a tame Lion.

"Child do not give into foolish dares because of your pride," said Aslan with a stern tone. "I hope you have learned your lesson." Joy nodded.

"Oh, yes I have Aslan," she said. She then remembered what the dwarf said as she and Philip rode past earlier and plucked up her courage to ask Aslan a question. "Aslan, even though I went along with Edmund to the Witch's house, I promise I did not betray where my sister and her friends were going. I am not a traitor," she said, pleading with her hands clasped before her. Aslan smiled gently, and Joy quickly relaxed.

"Joy, although you went along with him because you were dared, you did not do any harm," he said, and Joy breathed a sigh of relief, her chin dropping to her chest. "There are two things I will ask you to do," and she looked up again. "First, I will ask you to mend your relationship with your sister," said Aslan.

"Oh, yes Aslan. I will, I promise," said Joy, smiling with relief. She had thought he would ask her to do something hard or impossible, but seeing Rebecca again would be no trouble, would it? Even as she thought this, the nerves started to build inside her stomach. But Aslan was not finished.

Second," he paused "I ask you to forgive Edmund for the trouble he caused you." Joy felt that anger flare up again but met Aslan's gaze.

"Aslan, he tricked me into going to the Witch's castle," she said. "He betrayed his siblings, this beautiful country and you!" She pointed at him but quickly dropped the hand to her side when the Lion's gaze grew stern again.

"And even traitors deserve a second chance," said Aslan "once they have a change of heart. You need to forgive him Joy." Joy thought of rolling her eyes, but somehow that seemed like the wrong thing to do in front of Aslan.

"Yes, I will try Aslan," said Joy reluctantly. Aslan gave her a look. He knew she was not ready to forgive Edmund but did not say another word about it.

"Now, I think your sister is waiting for you," said Aslan. He turned slowly around and started walking away. Joy started following, walking beside the Lion's great head. His mane looked so soft that she wanted to reach out and touch it but chose to keep her hands at her sides. Several Narnians stopped and stared at her, bowing to Aslan but looking at Joy with curious and sometimes accusing gazes.

They came out into a busier section of the camp again, and Aslan told her to wait in the shadow of a tent which had a forge set up nearby. The Lion walked forward and Joy noticed that everyone would turn around and stare at him as he passed by. Centaurs, animals, satyrs; everyone stopped and looked. It was very difficult not to for the golden Lion was hard to miss, and he was so beautiful and fierce that one could not help but stare. Joy's eyes started to burn from the lack of sleep and she stifled a yawn as she waited for Aslan to beckon her forward. At last, Aslan turned his great head and looked at her, and Joy stepped out of the shadow of the tent.

A girl with golden hair was staring at her and she was dressed a rose-coloured dress with a missing sleeve and a bandage around her right bicep. Her left ankle was bandaged and a large patch of dried blood marred the pretty hem, and she had a sword belted around her waist. Her blue eyes went wide as they connected with Joy's, and she started hobbling forward. Joy slowly walked forward, knees trembling and then Rebecca broke into a run. "Joy!" she cried.

"Rebecca!" called Peter from behind Rebecca but she didn't seem to hear. She grabbed Joy by the shoulders and hugged her tightly, so tight Joy could hardly breathe. But she didn't mind one bit. Hot tears of shame and guilt pricked her eyes, and she let them fall, burying her face in Rebecca's shoulder.

"Joy," said Rebecca in her ear. "I'm can't believe you're here!" She stepped back and Joy sucked a deep breath in through her nose so she would stop crying and stared at her older sister. Rebecca's blue eyes studied her face and Joy forced herself to say, "I'm sorry," before her voice caught in her throat again. Rebecca gently grabbed her face with her hands.

"It's alright Joy, it was partially my fault for not listening to you," said Rebecca, and she hugged her tightly again. "I'm just so glad you're safe. I was so worried about you!" She pulled back and Joy could see tears shining in her eyes. Then, Rebecca's golden brows furrowed. "What happened to you?" She ran her finger over one of the scratches and Joy winced.

"Ouch," she sucked in a breath between her teeth before continuing "the Witch slapped me across the face and I hit the wall of the dungeon cell." Rebecca glared at the scratch.

"Ugh, if only I had been there to protect you," she said. "But once we defeat her in the battle, she will then pay for her crimes," and she patted her sword hanging on her left side. Peter came up behind her.

"Rebecca, we're going to talk about that," he said, "but later." He gave her ankle a pointed look and it seemed only then did Rebecca acknowledge the pain in her arm and ankle. Peter then addressed Joy. "I'm glad you got here safely, but where's Edmund?" He looked incredibly concerned, but also slightly angry and Joy didn't blame him.

"The last time I saw Edmund was a little while ago," she said, "he and the Witch were standing by the waterfall at the river." Peter nodded slowly and his shoulders slumped with relief.

"Thank you Joy," he said softly, and walked away. Rebecca slipped her uninjured arm around Joy's shoulders.

"Besides the scratches and bruises, are you alright otherwise?" asked Rebecca.

"I'm very tired," said Joy with a yawn "would I be able to get some sleep?" Rebecca nodded, smiling.

"Come on," said Rebecca, hobbling forward "I'll show you to our tent." They slowly made their way back to the quieter part of camp. It was at that moment that the girls realized Aslan had slipped away without them noticing. They looked around at the crowd of Narnians but saw no sign of the Lion. "I will have to thank him again when I see him next time," said Rebecca. Joy looked down at the thick bandage around Rebecca's ankle.

"Rebecca, what happened to your ankle?" she asked as Rebecca limped along beside her.

"Oh, a wolf bit me a little while ago," said Rebecca. "Two wolves attacked us, one of them was the leader of the wolf pack. One wolf bit me on the ankle and the leader scratched my arm with his claws before turning on Peter, who happened to come just in time." Rebecca's cheeks coloured as she said the last part.

"Oh, so that's what happened while I was away," said Joy with a teasing grin.

"Honestly Joy," said Rebecca with a little frustration "it's bad enough that the whole camp thinks there's something going on but to get the same teasing from your sister is somehow worse." Rebecca glanced at her with an annoyed expression but it quickly melted away and Rebecca hugged her again with her left arm. "I'm so glad you're safe, I've been so worried about you."

"Rebecca," said Joy as Aslan's words came back to her "I know I have been rotten to you lately, but I am sorry for everything." Rebecca looked at her from head to toe, and Joy could see the teasing in her eyes.

"Am I sure that you are Joy, my sister Joy?" asked Rebecca, pretending to think it over. "The little sister who once did not speak to me for three days because I read her diary?"

"Hold on," said Joy as her cheeks grew hot "that was embarrassing! And besides, I got you back for that one." Joy smirked. "I read yours and then wrote a letter to Ben Wilkes about your crush on him." Rebecca laughed.

"How silly of me to fancy the most arrogant boy in my class," she said, and the two girls laughed again. They turned to the left where a cluster of three tents sat in the shadow on a large rock. Rebecca let go of Joy's shoulders and limped towards the tent flap.

"Rebecca," said Joy as she slowly stopped laughing "I also want to say that, while in the Witch's dungeon, I did miss you." Rebecca turned around, amazement in her eyes. She grabbed Joy's hand and pulled her close in another hug.

"I cannot begin to tell you how much I missed you, but we're together now and I won't let anything like that happen to you again," said Rebecca, and tears blurred Joy's vision again. Rebecca lifted the tent flap and the two stepped inside.

There was little furniture inside the tent. Joy saw two beds, a washstand and a small closet at the back of the tent. There was also a wooden pole in the corner with a metal hook jutting out at the top, and Rebecca explained that was for a lantern which they could use as night fell to brighten up the tent. Rebecca sat down on the first bed, hung up her sword belt on the bed post and propped up her bandaged ankle on the soft mattress. "That one's yours," she said, pointing to the bed on Joy's left "but before you doze off, I want that explanation." Joy nodded and sat down on her bed. For a moment, she relished the feeling of the soft mattress beneath her, then forced herself to speak.

Joy recalled following Edmund out of the Beaver's dam, how he dared her into following him and the two headed to the Witch's castle. She made it clear that she never betrayed any information about where they were or where the group was headed, and Rebecca believed her. She even interrupted Joy long enough to say that she had been certain Joy wouldn't betray them the whole time they were apart. Joy went on to say that when she refused to say where Aslan was, the Witch slapped her which caught her off guard and she fell into the ice wall, which gave her these scratches and bruises. She told Rebecca about her attempt to escape and her rescuers, Mr. Fox and Gregoire, who sacrificed themselves so Joy could escape. She told Rebecca about the naiad which saved her from drowning, and the encounter with the wolves before arriving at Aslan's Camp.

Rebecca sat still throughout the whole story, but often looked at her sword whenever Joy would mention the Witch. Dusk was coming on by the time Joy finished telling her story. She took off her shoes and snuggled under the thick comforter as Rebecca got up, saying she was heading to the dinner table outside by the kitchen tents. "Joy, do you want anything?" she asked as she turned around.

But Joy was fast asleep.


	10. Apologies and Arguments

**Chapter Ten**

Joy woke up early the next morning and felt extremely hungry. She sat up in bed and looked around the dark tent. Rebecca lay in the bed across from her, fast asleep. Joy quickly slipped out from under the soft blanket and peeked out the tent flap. She could see the sun was up and based on its position she guessed it must have been about eight o'clock in the morning. A passing badger waved to her when they spotted her.

"Good morning!" called the badger. "Are you the Daughter of Eve named Joy?" Joy nodded. "Now that you're awake, your sister can take you over to the wardrobe tent for some Narnian clothes and then head over to the human dining table for breakfast." The badger waved again as she walked away, and Joy waved back, feeling strangely excited. She spun around on her heel and closed the flap. Placing herself beside her sister's bed, she said "Good morning!" in the most cheerful voice she could muster. Rebecca groaned and turned away from her, pressing the pillow into her ear.

"Not yet," she mumbled into the blanket. "Wake me up in an hour," she said. Joy yanked on the pillow but Rebecca clung to it, refusing to give it up.

"Rebecca, get up!" said Joy, letting go of the pillow. "You need to take me over to the wardrobe tent so they can fit me into some Narnian clothes." Rebecca refused to budge, and Joy got an idea. "Also, I think I heard a Narnian outside say it was almost time for breakfast." Joy heard a long sigh of defeat and then Rebecca's golden hair emerged from the blanket. Joy smiled as her older sister reluctantly pulled the blanket away from her shoulders and pulled herself up.

"The only reason I'm up is for food," said Rebecca defensively, and Joy laughed. Rebecca tried to smooth down her bed hair but after seeing it was no use, she quickly led Joy to the wardrobe tent.

Once inside, Joy met a centaur named Ember who let her pick out a Narnian dress. Joy struggled with this, forcing Rebecca to limp after her and drag her to the one Ember had originally offered Lucy yesterday. It was dark blue, with silver piping across the front in a swirling pattern that extended out along the collar all the way to the top of Joy's shoulders. The sleeve ended at her wrists on a diagonal angle, with a silver design stitched at the cuffs. The skirt fell to the grass beneath her feet and Ember gave her Narnian shoes to wear, something that looked a little like sandals. Rebecca also had to pick a new dress so hers could be scrubbed and selected a dark red dress which gave her golden hair red highlights in the sunshine.

Before she could put it on however, Ember insisted she have a bath in the pond behind the tent and scrub away the dirt and river water before putting on the new dress. After the scrub, Ember helped Joy pull the silky dress over her head and another centaur named Echo then styled Joy's hair. This took some time considering that it hadn't been brushed for two days, and Joy did her best not to jerk her head away every time the centaur hit a snag. Echo still managed to brush it smooth and then twisted two thick pieces of hair around to the back of her head and then joined them together with twine and silver thread. She handed the Joy the same silver mirror she handed Rebecca yesterday, and Joy's jaw dropped at the girl who stared back.

If there had been no scratches or bruises, Joy wouldn't have even known it was her. Her short blonde bob was finally styled for once, and the blue of her dress made her eyes look even bluer. "That's me?!" she gasped. Echo patted her shoulder and took the mirror away. Joy stood up and walked to Rebecca, who was grinning proudly at her.

"Now we both look like real Narnians," she said and Joy grinned at her. "I knew there was a pretty girl in there somewhere," said Rebecca, looking her over with a thoughtful expression "she was just too busy causing trouble for me to find her." Joy quickly frowned.

"Oh, Rebecca," she said with annoyance and then the two left the tent. As they walked to their dining table, Rebecca told Joy what had happened after she had left the Beavers; the harrowing escape from the wolves, meeting Father Christmas and the gift of her sword, the slaying of the wolf and crossing the river which nearly drowned Lucy, arriving at Aslan's Camp and lastly the attack from the wolves which led to Peter becoming a knight. Joy chose to say nothing but stared down at her dress as it swished and swayed while she walked.

The human dining table, as the Narnians called it, was a low table surrounded by cushions and blankets for the children to sit upon. As the two girls approached it, Joy noticed that three children were sitting around it. But one was not whom she expected and she stopped in her tracks. "Edmund?" Her exclamation made all the Pevensies stop eating and they looked at the approaching sisters. The last one to look up was Edmund, and Joy gasped at what she saw.

He looked awful. Joy could see bruises on the right side of his face, as if he had been slapped. He had a cut beside his left eyebrow which was scabbing, and there was also a scab on his lip like it had been split. Evidently things must have gotten worse for him after she saw him by the waterfall yesterday. He looked up at Joy with a guilty expression and all her anger slowly melted away. Rebecca gave her a tug on her sleeve, pulling Joy out of her thoughts, and she continued slowly forward and sat down beside Susan. "Good morning," she said to the others, and took a bite of toast.

Fresh butter melted on her tongue and Joy sighed with pleasure, her eyes rolling back in her head. When she opened them again, everyone around the table was staring at her. "Sorry," she said with her mouth full, and then reached for another piece. Edmund gave her a slight smile before grabbing a piece for himself. Besides toast, the children also had hard-boiled eggs in dainty stone egg cups, one for each of the children, along with sausages, fresh fruit, jam, tea; Joy couldn't remember having a feast this delicious. The children ate until they were full, which seemed to take a long time in Edmund's case.

"Narnia's not going to run out of toast Ed," said Lucy after Edmund's third piece.

"I hope not," said Joy, having just finished her third as well.

"I guess we'd better pack some up for the journey back," came Peter's voice, and the children all looked up to see him leaning against a rock and holding a large cup in his hand. Joy wondered where he had been, and then assumed he must have just returned from a meeting with Aslan.

"We're going home?" asked Susan.

"You are," said Peter. He stepped away from the rock and sat down between Edmund and Rebecca. Susan glared at him, seemingly annoyed. Noticing her glare, Peter said "I promised Mum I'd keep you three safe, but that doesn't mean I can't stay behind and help." Rebecca nodded reluctantly and looked at Joy. Joy shook her head at her, she wasn't about to leave and let Rebecca do all the fighting by herself.

"But they need us," said Lucy, looking around the group "all four of us." _For the prophecy,_ thought Joy. She looked at Rebecca and saw she was thinking the same thing.

"She's right," said Rebecca, turning to Peter. Ignoring her, Peter looked over at Lucy.

"Lucy, its too dangerous," he said. "You almost drowned, Edmund was almost killed!" Joy stared at Edmund with shock, what had the Witch done to him? Edmund met her gaze for a moment and then looked down at the table again.

"Which is why we have to stay," he said quietly, and all the children looked at him. "I've seen what the White Witch can do, and I've helped her do it." He looked around at the others with determination. "And we can't leave these people behind to suffer for it." Peter looked at Edmund, amazement and pride in his expression, and Joy had to admit she felt the same way. What a change from the Edmund who had argued with her in the Witch's dungeon. Then again, she had changed too. Lucy gently took Edmund's hand which he had placed on the tabletop and gave him a smile. Rebecca and Susan looked at each other and nodded.

"Well I suppose that's it then," said Susan. She stood up and walked over to the nearest tent. The others watched her, curious as to what she meant.

"Where are you going?" asked Peter. Susan picked up a quiver of arrows and a bow and swung an ivory horn over her shoulder with a long, woven strap.

"To get in some practice," she said coyly, and started walking away. Lucy got up and followed her.

"See you later Ed," she said, and ran off after her sister. Peter stood up quickly and told Edmund he would take him to Oreius for a sword and shield. He then helped Rebecca to her feet and shook his head at her bandaged ankle. Edmund stuffed one more piece of toast in his mouth and stood quickly.

"I'll be along once I ask Jamila to change the bandages and then take Joy to Ember," said Rebecca, hobbling over to where Joy was still seated. "Come on Joy."

"Wait," said Joy, remembering what Aslan asked of her. "I want to talk to Edmund for a second." Edmund's face fell and Joy saw that he suddenly looked nervous. Peter looked from her to Edmund and nodded.

"I'll be waiting by the healer's tent Ed," he said. He grabbed Rebecca's uninjured arm and the two walked slowly away, leaving Joy and Edmund by the table. Joy slowly stood up, trying to summon the strength and wisdom Aslan gave her yesterday, and looked at Edmund.

"Edmund," she started to say but he interrupted her.

"I'm sorry about everything that happened," said Edmund with a low voice. Joy stared at him with surprise and felt slightly annoyed that he had apologized first. Then, with a sudden chill she remembered the last thing she said to him and winced as the memory came back to her.

"Look," she said, but Edmund interrupted her again.

"Joy, before you start scolding me," he said, "please accept my apology. I'm sorry for forcing you to come to the Witch's castle, and all the trouble I caused afterwards" He looked at her with such a sincere expression that Joy was a little taken back with surprised. He really had changed. But he must have taken her silence as anger for he let out a sigh of defeat. "I understand if you won't forgive me," he said.

"No," said Joy in a firm tone. "I forgive you Edmund," she said, for now she was able to speak, and he cracked a small smile "and I'm sorry too," said Joy "for scolding you like a kitchen girl and for what I called you in the dungeon." Edmund sighed defeatedly.

"Well, you were right about my being a traitor," said Edmund "but Aslan said all is forgiven."

"And if Aslan can forgive you, I can certainly forgive you too," said Joy, and she held out her hand, hoping he would take it. He quickly grabbed it, and they shook hands. "Friends, Ed?" asked Joy.

Edmund's smile slowly grew until she worried the scab on his lip would split wide open. "Friends," he said.

"Now come on," said Joy, and she let go of his hand "let's go find Peter and Rebecca." She started running off in the direction Peter and Rebecca walked off. "Race you!" she said, and Edmund quickly picked up his heels and caught up to her.

The two raced through camp, dodging centaurs and fauns with their arms loaded with weaponry was unfortunately hard for Joy, and Edmund won the race by spotting Rebecca and Peter first, who were standing outside another crimson and gold striped tent. Joy reached the group last.

"What have you two been up to?" asked Rebecca, sounding a little like Mum. Joy remembered it was because she cared about her and decided not to snap at her.

"We had a race," she said, "and Edmund won." Edmund smiled proudly, and Joy sighed.

"Come on Ed," said Peter, letting go of Rebecca's arm. "Let's go find Oreius." He gave Rebecca a smile and then walked away with Edmund, who looked back and gave Joy a wave. Joy waved and was startled when Rebecca gently fingered the scratches on her face.

"Come on," she said, "Jamila will give you something to keep that from getting anymore infected," and she led Joy inside the tent.

Clay jars sat on shelves which lined the two of the tent's walls. On another shelf were stacks of folded cloth, the kind used to tear and make bandages. A single chair sat in the middle of the room, looking very out of place. But even more out of place was the kangaroo who was hopping towards them. "Hello Rebecca, time to change the dressings?" asked the kangaroo. Beside her, Rebecca nodded and pushed Joy forward.

"Yes Jamila," said Rebecca "but I was also wondering if you could see to the scratches on my sister's face? I'm worried they might have become infected." Jamila hopped forward and took Joy's face in her paws. After a moment's study, the kangaroo nodded.

"Good thing you brought her in today," and she hopped away towards one of the shelves covered in clay jars. "Another day and she could have faced a serious infection." Rebecca gestured for her to sit in the chair and Joy anxiously wove her fingers together in her lap. Jamila hopped over to her and dipped a clean rag into a bucket of water.

"Now hold still, this may hurt," she said. Joy winced as the rough cloth rubbed against her scratches but refused to cry. Once the wounds were considered clean, Jamila lifted the lid off the jar she took down from the shelf and smeared some clear-coloured, sticky cream across her cheek. "There, this will prevent any further infection." She washed her paws in a separate bucket of water. "And, it should heal with no trace of a scar," she added. A stinging pain broke out in her cheek and Joy merely nodded, unable to speak from the pain.

"Thank you, Jamila," said Rebecca, limping forward. Joy stood up, still speechless, and Rebecca took her seat in the chair. "Now, should we change the bandages from yesterday?" Jamila nodded and hopped back to the shelf. Rebecca turned around and her eyes connected with Joy's. "Would you mind waiting outside?" Joy frowned, she wanted to see Rebecca's injuries but something in Rebecca's expression made Joy do as she asked.

She stepped outside the flap and stood waiting, doing her best to fight the itch which had taken over for the stinging in her cheek. About ten minutes later, Rebecca emerged from the tent, walking rather stiffly but she did not need help as she walked past Joy. "Come on Joy, let's go find Ember," she said in a tight voice, and Joy ran after her.

"Don't you need help Rebecca?" asked Joy. Rebecca shook her head.

"No, Jamila wrapped my ankle very tight so I should be able to walk on it," she said, and Joy felt a rush of concern for her sister. "This way I can fight in the battle."

"But, shouldn't you take care of your ankle above fighting in the battle?" asked Joy.

"No, Narnia comes first," said Rebecca determinedly "and I won't miss out on fighting for Narnia's freedom because of one of the Witch's wolves." Joy reluctantly nodded and continued walking beside her, but every so often she saw Rebecca bite her lip in pain.

The sisters reached the great forge where Ember was polishing a centaur's helmet. "Ember!" called out Rebecca in greeting. Ember quickly put down the cloth and helmet and stood up on all four legs.

"Hello Rebecca, Joy," said Ember, her long flaxen hair and tail blowing in the breeze. "What can I do for you?"

"Ember, would you be able to find a bow and quiver for Joy?" asked Rebecca. "That is her weapon of choice." Joy grabbed Rebecca's left arm, turning her attention away from the centaur.

"What do you mean 'weapon of choice?'" asked Joy. "What if I want a sword like yours?" Rebecca shook her head and Ember smiled at the sister's dispute.

"No, you are going to be an archer," said Rebecca, leaving no room in her tone for arguing. "Mum would already disapprove of my sword but she would be shocked if I let you go into the battle wielding one as well! No," she shook her head "being an archer is much safer." Joy sighed.

"You treat me like I am a small child," she grumbled.

"Joy," the weight in Rebecca's tone made Joy look up from the ground "I already lost you once. I'm not about to lose you again." The seriousness in her expression made Joy remember that going into battle was a very scary thing, and she thought of their dad of fighting in Germany. After giving that some thought, Joy slowly nodded.

"As long as I can help Narnia," said Joy, and Rebecca smiled. "And I'm sure I can have fun with the bow and arrows too."

"Don't worry," said Rebecca, laughing "if you don't have fun at first, I'm sure you'll find a way." With that, Ember led the girls to an old dwarf named Rikbaar. Ember explained Rebecca's request to him, and then he stood up and slowly walked to the vast stores of bows and quivers behind him. He asked that Joy follow him, and so she did. Rikbaar would pull out a bow, hold it up against Joy and decide whether it was too big or too small. He did the same thing with quivers, until finally Joy got a bow with a dark blue and burgundy spiral pattern along the handle and a burgundy quiver filled with white-feathered arrows.

"You can run along now to your training, Rebecca," said Ember "I will teach your sister up at the archery range."

"Thank you, Ember," said Rebecca, and she quickly headed off to find Oreius and the boys.

"Come along now Joy," said Ember, and she started walking towards the path leading up the large hill which was behind Rikbaar's tent. Joy hung back, feeling slightly lost and confused, and watched the other Narnians mill about her. A troop of Red Dwarves ran past her and up the path where Ember was walking, and one or two of them smiled at Joy. She stared down at the weapons in her hands, and then back up at the hill. With a little sigh, she followed the centaur.

* * *

Rebecca caught up to Peter, Edmund and Oreius faster than she had planned. She took a few seconds to catch her breath, tighten the knot of the bandage around her ankle, and straightened. "I'm here!" she said. All three stared at her as if she had grown two heads. Peter quickly turned to Oreius.

"Oreius, would you work with Edmund for a few minutes?" he asked. "I'll be right with you," and he quickly walked over and grabbed Rebecca's uninjured arm. "What are you doing?" he hoarsely whispered.

"I'm here to train," said Rebecca stubbornly. "I want to fight for Narnia just as much as you do." Peter sighed with frustration.

"Rebecca, it's not a good idea for you to fight," said Peter "especially now that you're injured!" Rebecca quickly drew her sword, tripped Peter, knocked him flat on his back and aimed the sword at his chest.

"And, you're dead!" she said with a smirk. Peter huffed and climbed to his feet.

"Alright," he said, "I'll let you train since you so desperately want to try and get yourself killed." He gave her a glare and walked over to Oreius and Edmund. "She's joining us today," he said. Oreius looked at Rebecca with the usual annoyance while Edmund gave Rebecca a smile. Oreius showed them the basic sword fighting techniques, which was a review for Peter and Rebecca who had been given a lesson yesterday. Oreius paired Peter with Rebecca so he could work with Edmund, and Rebecca could tell Oreius did not want to teach her. She figured it was because there was no prophecy connected to her but thought it best to say nothing.

She and Peter sparred back and forth, and she could tell he was taking it easy on her. As she disarmed him for a second time, she asked "Why are you fighting me like a girl?" Peter said nothing. He then resumed the starting position across from her.

"Let's go again," he said.

"Peter," she lowered her sword arm and resisted the temptation to rub the healing wound under the sleeve "aren't you tired of being beaten by a girl?" she asked, trying a different tactic.

"Oh!" Peter raised his eyebrows with surprise. "Have you forgotten Miss Anderson that I have beaten you four times and you have only beaten me twice?"

"Three times," Rebecca raised her sword again "you forgot to count the one before we started practicing." She lifted her chin. "Stop taking it easy on me because I'm a girl! And that I'm injured." Peter sighed defeatedly and nodded like he was considering the idea. He then lunged forward. Rebecca quickly side-stepped and struck down. The flat caught Peter in the arm and he spun around again.

"Fine! I'll show you," he said. He took a swipe at her and she ducked, missing the blade by inches. "This is how they would treat you if you were on the battlefield," said Peter, and Rebecca relished the challenge. Their blades clashed together. Every strike he made she met with resistance. The blades flashed in the sunlight.

"Maybe you should have done this in the first place," taunted Rebecca. She took a jab at him with her sword but he stepped to the left, away from her blade. "Then I could really prepare for battle!" They both lunged and their blades twisted and locked over their heads.

"Rebecca, I don't want you to fight in the battle." The gravity in his tone made Rebecca snap out of her concentration.

"Why!" she exclaimed. Rebecca lowered her blade and stepped back. "Peter, I want to fight."

"Well, I don't want you to get hurt," he said. "It's bad enough that Edmund is going to fight and Susan and Joy will be in the archers, but I don't want you to ride into the charge." He shook his head. "Even though Aslan won't give me a straight answer about that," he mumbled. Frustrated, Rebecca lunged again. Peter spun around and struck her on the back with the flat of his blade. She wheeled around to face him, ignoring the ache coming from her ankle.

"Peter, I am going to fight," she said through gritted teeth. "I have wanted to fight for Narnia ever since I heard of the White Witch!" Peter struck his blade down towards her and she caught it with her own. "And even though you will be King, I am not about to listen to you on this point." The blades clashed repeatedly, and Peter and Rebecca kept on circling, getting a feel for the other's defense.

"Give up Rebecca!" Both were getting tired; this was the longest fight they had fought yet.

"Not likely," grunted Rebecca and she parried again with her blade. Peter then twirled his blade around hers so it went flying! Rebecca raised her arms in defense but Peter wasn't done. He grabbed her arm, twisted it behind her back and held her tightly against his chest. He raised the blade and rested the edge lightly against her throat.

"You're dead," he said with a soft voice, but Rebecca barely heard it over the roar of her pulse in her ears. She quickly stepped away and picked up her blade, and saw Peter looking at her with a seemingly disappointed expression, and she got the feeling she had done something wrong. "Good match," said Peter finally, and Rebecca smiled weakly. What if she had stayed with him one second longer? What would have happened?

"Are you two finished practicing?" asked Oreius, and Peter spun away from Rebecca and faced him. Rebecca was certain her face was on fire and dropped her head.

"Yes Sir," said Peter. "What's next?" Edmund came up beside him and slid his sword back into its sheath. Rebecca noticed the hilt was shaped like a lamppost and wondered what it meant.

"Come then," said Oreius "I will get you horses and we will work on riding and sword fighting." He led the three down the hill and towards the stables, where Philip, the horse Rebecca learned that had brought Joy back from the Witch's castle, a unicorn and another Talking horse named Flamewing who had two red patches on either side of her body that looked like wings and a red mane and tail to contrast her cream-coloured body, awaited them. Oreius gave Edmund Philip, Peter the unicorn and Rebecca got Flamewing. He showed the three how to fight and stay on the horse's back at the same time. "The trick is," he said, "to grip the horse's body between your knees as you fight, as tight as you can." He worked with each of the children, but Rebecca noticed he seemed to be focusing more on Peter and Edmund again. She figured it was probably because they would be Kings of Narnia, and he probably also thought she wouldn't be fighting in the battle. She couldn't wait to prove him wrong.

A little while later, Oreius asked her "Rebecca, why don't you ride over to the archery range and check on your sister?" Rebecca looked behind her and up the grassy slope.

"But, what about the lesson?" she asked.

"I sure the High King will fill you in on what you missed," said Oreius, and Rebecca's cheeks flamed at the words, but after all the arguing with Peter about fighting in battle, she did as she was asked. Besides, Oreius was a great warrior and she wasn't about to challenge him so she could stay. She rode away from the practice grounds and over to the archery range. As she rode, her thoughts quickly returned to Peter and the look on his face when she had stepped away from him. She quickly forced the thoughts from her mind and rode forward. She was here to fight for Narnia, at least that was her personal cause, and she did not want to overthink one little misstep and blow it out of proportion. Still the thought lingered, what if? And that thought warmed her all the way down to her toes.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ember had taken Joy to a field where a row of targets had been set up. Susan and Lucy were already there, and Susan was about to fire when Ember cantered over and corrected the girl's posture. "Posture is everything in archery," she said, and then went about teaching Joy a few targets away. She showed Joy how to plant her feet firmly, take aim with both eyes open and how tight to pull the bowstring when you are about to fire. Joy soaked up the knowledge quickly and soon went from missing the target by a mile to hitting the blue ring on the inside on the target. Ember left soon after Joy hit her first bullseye, telling her she was the fastest learner she had taught yet. She then said something about getting drink but left in the opposite direction and headed towards the practice grounds. Joy briefly wondered what she was going after and then focused on the target again.

After emptying her quiver and collecting all the arrows, she walked over to Susan and Lucy to practice closer to them. Not only that but she had missed Lucy terribly and wanted to catch up with what had happened. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Susan drew back the bowstring, took careful aim, and fired. It hit the line between the white and blue rings, not exactly a bullseye which was the red circle on the target. Lucy gasped excitedly which Susan studied the target. Lucy then drew her dagger and threw.

A bullseye. Lucy and Susan started laughing, and Joy joined in. Once the laughter had subsided, Lucy asked "Joy, how exactly did you escape from the Witch's castle?" Joy quickly retold the tale, not wanting to think about Mr. Fox again.

"Aslan sent Mr. Fox, a faun named Gregoire and a horse named Philip to the castle to rescue me." Joy took an arrow from her quiver, determined to keep her hands busy. She raised the bow and took aim but didn't fire the arrow. "Then Mr. Fox and Gregoire gave themselves up and were captured by wolves as we made our escape." Lucy and Susan gasped with horror, and Joy shuddered at the memory. "It was awful. Then Philip and I swam across the river, well I was pulled across by a naiad and we made our way here."

"Joy, I've been meaning to ask, why did you," Susan started to ask but quickly stopped herself, like she had said something she wasn't supposed to. Joy looked at her, feeling rather curious, but Susan didn't yield and they resumed their practice. An approaching horse caught their attention and all three girls looked to their left. It was Rebecca, riding a beautiful horse that Joy had never seen before.

"Do you mind if I watch?" asked Rebecca as she dismounted. "I've been told to leave the training area."

"Why?" asked Susan.

"I believe its because Oreius doesn't think I should fight in the battle," said Rebecca. "Apparently so does Peter," she added quietly. She stepped into the cool shade underneath the small, open-air pavilion which was set up just off to Susan's left.

"Well," added a new voice "you are distracting the High King, and Oreius wants him to focus on fighting for his country."

"My thoughts exactly," said Rebecca while Joy, Lucy and Susan stared wide-eyed at the horse. The girls quickly gathered underneath the pavilion and Lucy stroked the horse's nose.

"You're a Talking Horse too?" asked Joy.

"Yes! My name is Flamewing," the mare walked over to the pavilion and nuzzled Rebecca's shoulder "and you are now my human." Rebecca smiled and patted the horse's neck.

"Have you seen Philip?" asked Joy as she sat down on some cushions.

"Yes, he's constantly talking about the loyal Lady Joy whom he helped rescue and how she remains true to her friends," the horse went solemn "like Mr. Fox." Joy sighed sadly.

"I can't help but feel like its my fault," said Joy, and Rebecca gently grabbed her hand.

"But" said the horse with a smile "if I know Fox, he will find a way to escape the Witch and come here no matter what." Lucy smiled at her, and Joy all of a sudden remembered Mr. Tumnus! She could never tell Lucy he was now a stone statue; it would break her heart.

"Thank you Flamewing," said Joy with a grateful smile. The thundering of approaching horses made all the girls leap up and rush out of the pavilion. Peter and Edmund came tearing over the hill, swords drawn while riding charging horses. One of the steeds, to Joy's delight, was Philip and the other was a creamy unicorn!

"Come on Ed," said Peter "sword point up, like Oreius showed up!"

"On guard!" said Edmund, raising his sword.

"Now, drop!" shouted Peter. The two finished their fight and turned the horses around to face the girls.

"Peter! Edmund!" shouted Mr. Beaver as he dashed across the lawn towards them, and Philip reared! Joy gasped.

"Woah, horsey!" cried Edmund. Philip dropped all fours back onto the grass.

"My name is Philip," he said in a matter-of-fact tone. Lucy and Joy broke out laughing and Edmund made a face at Joy before turning his attention back to Philip.

"Sorry," he said to the horse.

"The Witch," said Mr. Beaver "has demanded a meeting with Aslan." The colour drained from Joy's face and she quickly looked around at the others. All the laughter and happiness had faded from their expressions, replaced by anger and fear. "She's on her way here!" added Mr. Beaver, and all the children scrambled. Peter, Edmund and Rebecca took the horses and unicorn back to the stables. Susan showed Joy how to strap the quiver around her chest and over her shoulder, so she would always be able to carry the weapons with her. The three with the horses all came rushing back to the archery range and then they started down the hill towards the centre of the camp.

Even as she was rushing down the path, Joy could see a figure dressed in white making her way through the Narnians and felt her blood run cold. The White Witch was here. Even the weather seemed to know it for the air had suddenly grown chilly and dark clouds blocked out the warm sunshine. The group reached a spot near Aslan's tent at the edge of the crowd and stood with their hearts beating wildly as they came face to face with the White Witch.


	11. The Losses and Truimphs of the Witch

**Chapter Eleven**

Rebecca grasped the hilt of her sword as she took her place beside Joy. She was surprised to see the Witch's crier was a dwarf, walking down the main path towards Aslan's tent. He was shouting the Witch's royal claims to the throne of Narnia but nobody was listening to him, for their attention was on the sight behind him. The Witch followed the dwarf, carried on a litter by four Cyclopses, and a minotaur walked at her right hand. Rebecca saw remnants of icicles sticking out of the top of her head which she assumed used to be the Witch's crown, and to everyone's relief she carried no wand. Rebecca glanced over at Joy and saw a nervous look on her face. She quickly let go of her sword hilt and wrapped her arm around Joy's shoulders. Joy leaned against her body while Rebecca studied the scratches and bruises on Joy's face and met the Witch's curious gaze with a chilly glare. Nearby, Aslan stood before his tent with an expression Rebecca found hard to understand.

The Cyclopses set the litter down and the Witch stood up with a dramatic flourish. She stared coldly at Rebecca, then looked briefly at Joy and turned her gaze to Edmund. Rebecca saw that he looked scared, and he glanced over at Joy quickly and the shameful look returned to his face. The Witch walked forward, still staring at Edmund who then nervously met her eyes. "You have a traitor in your midst Aslan," said the Witch. Murmurs broke out throughout the crowd and Edmund looked anxiously at his siblings, who looked at him with worry.

"His offense was not against you," said Aslan calmly. Rebecca saw Joy look anxiously at Edmund out of the corner of her eye. She squeezed Joy's shoulders and Joy looked forward again.

"Have you forgotten the laws upon which Narnia was built?" asked the Witch, and Aslan growled, cutting off her words.

"Do not cite the Deep Magic to me Witch," he said, and all the Narnians stared at Aslan. "I was there when it was written," he said in a low voice. Rebecca felt a sudden and overwhelming urge to learn everything she could about this mysterious and majestic lion, and she eased her grip on Joy. The Witch however did not seem to feel the same reverence and gave the lion a haughty look.

"Then you remember well that every traitor belongs to me," she said victoriously. Rebecca shook her head and feared the Witch would threaten to take Joy as well. "His blood is my property," said the Witch as she looked over at Rebecca and Joy "along with his friend, the girl." She looked back towards Aslan. "Anyone who comes to me willingly must pay the price, you know that Aslan," she challenged him. Peter and Rebecca drew their swords.

"Try and take them then," said Peter. Rebecca came up alongside him, glaring at the Witch. She would not let her sister go without a fight, no matter the consequences. The towering minotaur beside the Witch was instantly on alert, ready to defend the Witch. The Witch merely stared at the pair, not phased by the threat.

"Do you really think that mere force will deny me my right," taunted the Witch, and Rebecca noticed Peter's bravado had started to crumble "little King?" That remark made Rebecca tighten her grip on her sword and she made no move to stand down and let the Witch win this one. "Back down little girl," said the Witch, and Rebecca fumed. Beside her, Peter stepped back and lowered his sword after shaking his head at her. There was no point in attacking right now.

"Aslan knows," continued the Witch "that unless I have blood as the law demands," she turned sharply around to face the Narnians "all of Narnia will be overturned and perish, in fire and water." She wheeled around and pointed straight at Edmund. "That boy, will die on the Stone Table." The Narnians broke out talking. All the children looked panic-stricken at Edmund, who looked helplessly at them. What could they do against this Deep Magic? "As is tradition," finished the Witch. She lowered her hand and looked back towards Aslan. "You dare not refuse me," said the Witch in a threatening tone.

"You can't take my brother!" shouted Lucy, and Susan held her back by gripping her arms. Joy and Edmund looked nervously at one another and said nothing.

"Enough!" called Aslan, and the Narnians fell silent. Rebecca stared at the Great Lion, wondering what he would do. "I shall talk to you alone," he said. The Lion turned and went inside his tent, and the Witch followed with her head held high.

Once the train of her long skirt disappeared behind the tent flap, everyone waited anxiously to see what would happen. No one knew what to do, as talking and making idle chatter seemed rude but at the same time, trying to listen to what was going on inside the tent was also rude. A cold breeze blew in the children's faces as they sat down on the grass. Lucy, Joy and Edmund picked at the grass, pulling up clumps of it then picking it apart, not knowing what to say.

Rebecca knew in her heart that Aslan was good, but if the Deep Magic was so powerful, what could he do? Susan sat up on a boulder, braiding grass together to make something though the object was still unclear. Peter kept on looking at the tent, then at Edmund, who was looking more and more worried as the minutes ticked by. Seated beside Joy, Rebecca pulled her compass out of her skirt pocket. As she stared at it, the arrow turned away from her and Rebecca realized it was pointed behind her and off to the left. She looked in that direction and saw Aslan's tent. Her eyes clashed with Joy's and Rebecca remembered she hadn't told Joy about the magical compass yet, but she would have to soon. She turned her attention back towards the tent and Peter must have seen her staring for he looked over his shoulder too.

The tent flaps fluttered. He and Rebecca quickly got to their feet, followed by the others. The Witch stepped out. All the Narnians who had sat down on the grass quickly got to their feet as well. Some dwarves nearby backed away from the Witch as she descended the rocky steps and headed towards her litter. She paused, staring first at Edmund and then Joy with a slight smirk, like she knew something they didn't, then continued onward.

Rebecca noticed Aslan was out now and stared at him. His head was down, like it was very heavy. The wise look in his eyes was now one of sadness, and strangely Rebecca's heart broke for the sorrowful sight but she could not place the feeling. As quickly as the sadness appeared, it vanished as the Great Lion raised his head. "She has renounced her claim on the Son of Adam and the Daughter of Eve's blood," he announced. The tension around the children broke. Rebecca hugged Joy as cheers erupted around them and Peter quickly grabbed Edmund by the shoulder while Susan wrapped him a hug.

"But how do I know your promise will be kept?" asked the Witch.

_What promise?_ thought Rebecca. Aslan roared loudly, looking very fierce, and the Witch quickly sat down on her litter. The Narnians cheered and laughed all around them. Lucy hugged Edmund tightly, who picked her up and set her down, grinning the whole time. Susan and Peter hugged each other and went around hugging the others too. A Talking Dog was leaping with happiness by Rebecca's feet when she looked up and noticed Aslan wasn't celebrating. Rather, he was hanging his head again and looking very sad. He looked up, saw Rebecca staring, and went inside the tent. She looked away and saw Lucy staring. She must have seen it too.

Joy suddenly ensnared her in a hug from behind. "Oh, Rebecca! Now everything will be alright." She let go and Rebecca quickly spun around to face her. "Aslan and Peter will lead us into battle and we shall take Narnia back from the Witch." Rebecca smiled at her sister's happy face, but she sensed something wasn't right. What was the promise Aslan gave to the Witch? Rebecca looked away from the tent and watched as Joy weaved through the crowd. Joy found Edmund talking with some dwarves and threw her arms around him in a quick hug.

"I'm glad you're safe Ed," she said in a not so quiet voice after she let him go. He spun around looking rather surprised and Joy shrugged. But he grinned, and all that worry and shame seemed to have melted away, as if it was never there. Rebecca smiled at the two before becoming engulfed in a hug from Peter and Susan on either side of her.

Once the Witch left the camp, the sun came out again and the temperature grew warmer. The spirit of the Narnian camp grew brighter as the afternoon wore on. Everyone was talking about the victory they would have over the Witch now that they had Aslan and the Kings and Queens to lead them. Most of the Narnians, including Oreius, were treating Rebecca and Joy with more respect, as a result of everyone being in a good mood.

The children spent the rest of the afternoon training and practicing, and Oreius privately apologized for sending Rebecca away earlier that day. Rebecca accepted his apology and sparred back and forth between Edmund and Peter throughout the training session. Peter refused to talk about the upcoming battle, and Rebecca chose that sparring with Peter using her sword was better than sparring with words. Also, it seemed better not to talk about what nearly happened at the training area earlier that day, which gave Rebecca great relief for she didn't know what to say if Peter brought up the subject.

At dinner that evening, Aslan did not appear and Rebecca saw one of the leopards carrying a silver tray and heading in the direction of Aslan's tent. Rebecca and Lucy made eye contact before turning their attention back to their meal. No one said much, and an oppressive mood seemed to sit on everyone's shoulders. Rebecca guessed Aslan's absence was affecting everyone.

Once darkness fell, the children headed back to their tents for the night. Rebecca had just closed the tent flap and looped the sword belt over the bedpost when Joy asked her a question. "Rebecca, where did you get that compass? The one that doesn't work?" she asked, and Rebecca fished it out of her pocket.

"This compass?" she held it up for Joy to see and Joy nodded. "Father Christmas gave it to me along with the sword, and it does work." She gave Joy a sharp look for emphasis, and Joy looked back at the compass. "It's a magic compass Joy, it does not point North," explained Rebecca as she sat down on the bed "it points towards Aslan. Either Aslan himself, or what Aslan wants me to do." She smiled at the compass as she quoted Father Christmas' words. Joy looked up at her with a curious expression and held out her hand.

"May I see it?" she asked. Rebecca hesitated, then carefully placed it in Joy's open palm and wrapped the chain around her fingers. Joy held it close to her face, studying it. "This is really interesting," she said "did you notice the details etched into the silver? It shows two girls, one on either side of the compass. One carries a sword, the other a bow and quiver full of arrows." Joy turned it over in her hands. "And there's strange letters and words carved all over the back of the compass." Rebecca stepped closer and noticed the fine details.

"Hm, that's very strange," said Rebecca. "I never noticed those details before," she shook her head "nor did I see them. How could I have missed them before now?" Joy shrugged.

"Maybe they just appeared right now," she said, and Rebecca shook her head.

"That's impossible, how do carved details magically appear?" asked Rebecca. Joy looked up at her with a glint in her eyes.

"It's a magical compass, could that have something to do with it?" she asked, and Rebecca gasped.

"Joy, I think you've hit it!" she exclaimed. "I may be not all that observant but I certainly would have seen those carvings before." Joy shrugged and handed back the compass.

"Let's go ask Aslan in the morning, maybe he'll know what the strange lettering means," said Joy, and Rebecca nodded.

"Yes, and I feel like we should ask him why we are here in Narnia," said Rebecca. "If the prophecy only calls for the Pevensies, why are we here?" She placed the compass on a corner of the washstand and sat down on the bed. "Joy, did you notice Aslan this afternoon? Did he seem," she paused, trying to think of the right word "different to you?" Joy shrugged, with a tired look in her eyes and she was still staring at the compass.

"I haven't seen him since the meeting with the Witch," she said, then smiled "I'm glad he put her in her place." Rebecca smiled too; it was nice to see the Witch get scared after terrifying her sister in the dungeon cell.

"Yes, me too and I think you should thank Aslan next time you see him," said Rebecca.

"Yes, Rebecca," said Joy, and Rebecca crawled underneath the soft Narnian blanket after taking her shoes off and pulled the covers up to her chin. Doubtful thoughts crowded her mind and Rebecca looked in the direction of Joy's bed.

"Joy? Do you think we have a reason for being here?" she asked. "Most of the Narnians seem to think we are outsiders while they love the Pevensies. I can't figure it out," she said. She heard the blanket rustle and Joy's voice followed saying "Mr. Fox said that no human comes to Narnia without a reason, so maybe we are supposed to be here for something," said Joy. Rebecca sighed.

"I wish I knew," she whispered, "let's just go to sleep," and Rebecca pulled the blanket over her head.

* * *

Joy heard the blankets rustle from her place across the tent and after a few minutes slowly got to her feet. She slid out of bed, tied on her shoes, and tiptoed to the flap. She had noticed when she took the compass from Rebecca that the arrow pointed in a different direction in her hands than in Rebecca's and she wanted to see what was out there. She froze as she stepped outside, for she thought she heard voices coming from the boy's tent, and she held her breath in the shadow of the tent. Once the racket subsided, Joy made her way around the tent and headed off in the direction of the arrow.

Torches and bonfires were lit all throughout the camp. Some sentries stood guard over them, keeping a sharp look out for intruders. One or two of them looked her way, but Joy didn't stop. Weaving around the fires, she followed the arrow's direction out to the edge of camp. Beyond the last fire, she spotted a golden lion headed towards the woods.

Aslan. Then she noticed that Lucy and Susan were following him! The three disappeared into the trees and Joy crept forward. As she approached the fringe of the forest, someone behind her said "Joy?" She gasped and spun around. Edmund was standing several feet away, and his face wasn't visible because of the bonfire flickering in the distance behind him so Joy couldn't see his expression.

"Edmund?" asked Joy. She was shocked to see him out at this time. "What are you doing out here?" She moved closer to the fire to get warm.

"I saw you leaving your tent," said Edmund. "I was going out for some food when I saw you and wondered where you were headed. What are you doing out here?" Joy had hoped he wouldn't ask; how could she explain she was following a hunch created by a magical compass? After a pause he said, "I think this conversation sounds familiar."

"Oh, yes," said Joy and she smirked at the memory. "When I caught you…" her voice trailed, and she didn't finish the sentence. Edmund's face fell and she decided not to bring it up again.

"What are you doing out here in the dark?" asked Edmund.

"I," She started pointing towards the woods and dropped her hand. "I don't know," she finally said. Edmund frowned, and Joy knew he did not believe her. She shrugged and walked towards the camp.

A familiar growl came from the trees behind her and Joy turned around to see two sets of glowing yellow eyes. "Edmund!" she screamed. The two wolves charged and Edmund leapt in front of her as she stumbled backwards. He slashed his sword left and right, and Joy regretted she had left her bow and arrows in the tent and threw rocks at the wolves to keep them distracted.

"Give us the girl and we will let you live Son of Adam!" snarled one of the wolves.

"Leave Joy alone!" shouted Edmund. A wolf charged towards her and Joy hit it between the eyes with a rock. The wolf turned away, looking dizzy and started running towards the woods. The other wolf, whom Edmund had been fighting, slowly limped after it for Edmund had severed its right hind leg. Joy looked at Edmund as he put the sword back into its sheath.

"Thank you, Edmund," she said, grateful for the way he quickly rose to her defense. She smiled. "For this, you are my new best friend," she said in a proper tone, hoping to make him smile. But Edmund merely nodded, looking very serious.

"Come on, let's get back to the tents," he said, and Joy nodded. They walked in awkward silence for a few minutes, and Joy couldn't think of anything to say. She wondered what the wolves had wanted with her, and a trickle of fear ran through her veins. She then remembered what Peter said earlier that day about Edmund being almost killed and she dredged up a question.

"What happened after you left the dungeon?" she asked. When he didn't respond Joy said "Sorry, I was only curious."

"We went after my siblings," said Edmund in a low, tired voice. "We took her sleigh through the woods but never got to the Beaver's dam. When we tried to find a way to cross the river, her wolves brought a fox to the Witch and said he was gathering her enemies in the woods. She turned him to stone," Joy gasped "and when I tried to stop her, she slapped me." He rubbed the bruises on his face. "She froze a section of the river with her wand for us to cross, and then set up camp on this side of the river." He paused, like the story was about to get worse. Joy didn't doubt it but she wanted to hear the next part.

"What happened?" she prompted him.

"She ordered Ginarrbrik," said Edmund and Joy cocked her head in confusion "the dwarf," he said to clarify "to kill me. If Aslan's soldiers hadn't come in time," he did not finish the sentence and Joy nodded, understanding what he was going to say.

"I, I don't know what to say," she said softly. "Except that I'm sorry for what happened. And, I'm glad Aslan's soldiers came when they did."

"It's alright," he said, and shook his head "it's not your fault." The firelight flickered across his face, and Joy could see the regret in his face. "It's mine."

"Edmund," Joy stopped walking and Edmund turned around to face her "Aslan talked to the Witch, so we have nothing to worry about! And in the battle, we will defeat her," said Joy. She instinctively reached for the strap attached to her quiver only to remember she had left it back in the tent and dropped her hand to her side.

"I hope so," said Edmund, his tone doubtful "you weren't at the Witch's camp, you haven't seen her magic powers. The hundred years winter is the mere surface of her powers." He looked up at her and Joy's stomach sank. He must have seen the look on her face for he said "But I believe in Aslan, and I believe in Peter. He will make a good King."

"So will you!" reminded Joy. Edmund shrugged at that.

"I wonder what those wolves were doing here," he said, "and what they wanted with you." He looked over at her with worry.

"I don't know," she said, shaking her head. The Witch's words came back to her and Joy gasped. "That's it! The Witch wants me." She stopped walked and looked at Edmund. "Remember what she said about your blood being her property? She said that I rightfully belong to her too!" Edmund's eyes went wide with realization.

"Of course," he said, "she said that anyone who came to her willingly must pay the price." He shook his head. "Once again, its my fault." Joy frowned.

"Edmund, Aslan made the Witch renounce her claim on your blood! This one is my fault," she said, "and if it wasn't for my silly pride, I wouldn't be in this mess." She said, "Thank you again for stopping the wolves." The pair came around the corner to the humans' three tents. She stopped by her tent and turned around to look at Edmund. "I'm sure you'll be a wonderful King," she said.

"Thanks Joy," said Edmund and Joy was surprised she was smiling at him. How had she gone from extremely disliking him to becoming his friend? "Goodnight Joy," said Edmund, and he walked away.

"Goodnight Edmund!" called Joy softly back and she went inside her tent. Rebecca was fast asleep, and Joy had no trouble climbing back into bed and didn't bothering to take off her shoes. By now, she had forgotten completely about Aslan and where he was going, but by now she was too tired to think about it. She quickly dozed off, and her dreams were filled with arrows, Aslan's voice, and the Witch's wand. As the Witch raised her wand over Joy's head, a loud voice shouting "Joy!" made the Witch dissolve into thin air.

"Joy! Rebecca!" called the same voice. Joy sat up and based on the lack of light coming from under the tent flap, Joy knew it was still dark outside. Rebecca bolted up, threw her covers aside and scrambled for her shoes. Peter and Edmund thrust the tent flap open and ran inside, swords drawn.

"What is it?" asked Rebecca as she tried to smooth her hair and put her shoes on at the same time and failed at both.

"Aslan is gone, he's dead." said Peter, looking back and forth between the two sisters.

"No, he can't be!" exclaimed Rebecca and Joy felt her face grow pale. "He was just in his tent last night. Joy and I," she stopped, and Joy shook her head. There was no point in discussing the details on the compass when Aslan no longer lived to explain them.

"He was killed by the Witch at the Stone Table," said Peter and Joy gasped, remembered what happened before the wolf attack last night.

"I saw him leaving the camp last night!" she exclaimed as she leapt out of bed, and Edmund looked sharply at her.

"When?" he asked.

"Before you found me," said Joy "I saw Aslan heading into the woods, and Lucy and Susan were following him."

"What were you doing out there last night?" asked Rebecca.

"I followed the compass," said Joy, looking around the group "the arrow was pointed towards the woods and so I followed it. That's where I saw Aslan along with Lucy and Susan, but I ran into Edmund and I never ended up following him," said Joy, choosing to leave out the wolf attack. As she finished talking, Peter spotted the compass lying on the washstand and picked it up. The children pressed in around him, and Peter positioned it so the light coming from the tent flap shone down on the arrow. It was spinning around and around, and Joy quickly looked away for fear of getting dizzy. She looked at Edmund, who looked slightly sick as well.

"Come on," said Peter as he handed the compass back to Rebecca. "Let's go to Aslan's tent." The children filed out of the tent and walked towards the centre of the camp. Most of the Narnians were awake by now, quietly milling about the camp finishing off weapons and armour and stoking the fires for the forges. Many stopped and stared at Peter, as if they were seeing him in a new light. In front of her, Rebecca slipped her hand into Peter's as they walked and Joy tried not to roll her eyes. A flapping of wings made her look up and she saw a gryphon fly overhead and land among the Narnians ahead of them.

The children grouped around the map in front of the tent. Joy half expected the Great Lion to appear, and then the world would be made right again. But he did not appear, even after Peter looked inside the tent and Joy felt a sadness grow deep inside her heart. It was at that moment when she remembered Peter's sisters. "Where are Lucy and Susan?" she asked.

"They are at the Stone Table," said Peter, looking down at the map. "They sent the news by dryads and they will stay at the Table until the battle is over." He rested his fists on the map stand. "The problem is what are we going to do?" He stared defeatedly at the map with Edmund on his right, Rebecca and Joy on his left, and Oreius stood on the other side of the map. Edmund looked over at Joy, who gave him a slight nod, and then back at Peter.

"Peter, you'll have to lead us," said Edmund. Peter didn't look up from the map or respond, he continued to study the landmarks and pins. "Look," continued Edmund, "there's an army out there," he gestured to the surrounding camp "and its ready to follow you." Rebecca and Joy nodded in agreement.

"I can't!" protested Peter.

"Peter," started Rebecca when Edmund interrupted her.

"Aslan believed you could," Edmund paused "and so do I." Peter slowly looked up and smiled at Edmund, who gave him a small smile back. Rebecca grabbed one of Peter's hands.

"So do I, Peter," she said with determination.

"Me too!" piped up Joy. Peter looked gratefully around the group with a thankful smile, for no words needed to explain how he felt. Then, Oreius cleared his throat.

"The Witch's army is nearing Sire," he said, "what are your orders?" Peter looked down at the map again, and resolve found its way into his expression. When he looked up, Joy thought he had transformed right before their eyes into the King they all knew he was.

"I need a gryphon," said Peter. Oreius nodded at Peter and galloped away. Peter then turned to Rebecca. "Rebecca, are you sure you still want to fight in the battle?"

"Yes Peter," said Rebecca, raising her chin "I still want to fight for Narnia." Peter nodded but didn't seem happy with her answer.

"Alright," he said "you, Edmund and I will head to the armoury after this meeting." He looked at Joy. "How have you been progressing with archery?"

"Ember said I was doing just fine," said Joy, and excitement crept into her heart "am I going to fight in the battle?" she asked excitedly.

"You will be up with the archers and stay there the whole time," said Peter and he looked at Edmund "same with you Ed, but you will only join in the fighting if its absolutely necessary." Joy and Edmund nodded. "You will need to come to the armoury with us Joy," and Peter then turned back to the map. Oreius came running back, and a gryphon named Coron landed at his side.

"You asked for me Sire?" he asked.

"I want you to take a message to the Witch," said Peter "tell her to meet us for battle at this large field here," he pointed at the map "past the Great River. We will be set up at the Eastern side of the valley." The gryphon nodded and took off. Peter studied the field and worked out the plans for the charge, and how to delay the advance of the Witch's soldiers. He said they needed every opportunity to take down as many of the Witch's soldiers before the two sides met in combat

After putting Oreius in charge of the soldiers, the children headed to the armoury. Edmund, Peter and Rebecca were outfitted with suits of armour that had the Narnian crest on the front. Peter and Rebecca received helmets with visors as they would be in the charge. Joy's armour differed greatly; she received a chainmail shirt with a thick leather shirt underneath and boots to replace her shoes. It was clear that even though she would be out of the fighting, Peter still wanted her to be well protected. Before Rebecca stepped into the suit of armour, she asked Jamila to wrap her ankle as tightly as possible so she would be able to move freely in battle, and Joy chose to say nothing about it. With any luck, Rebecca would stay on Flamewing's back throughout the battle.

The children then went back to Aslan's tent and ran over the last few details as most of the Narnians got ready to leave the camp. The sun was starting to peek over the sea now, lighting up the valley filled with tents. The children mounted their specified horses, this time both Joy and Edmund rode Philip, and the entire army set out for the battlefield, leaving the camp as it was for they hoped to return to it after the battle.

Rebecca rode Flamewing alongside Peter, who was again riding the unicorn bareback, and Oreius rode on Peter's left. The three talked the whole way to the battlefield, and Joy assumed they were running over the battle plans again. Joy and Edmund rode on Philip in the back with the archers.

"Edmund," said Joy "are you scared?" She was clinging to his sword belt so she wouldn't fall off Philip's back, as she wasn't seated in the saddle but behind it.

"Not yet," said Edmund. He sounded like he was trying to be brave. "Are you?" he asked, and Joy swallowed hard.

"Terrified, I feel like I'm going to be sick," said Joy. Edmund looked sharply back at her.

"Well, don't be sick on my armour please," said Edmund and Joy grimaced.

"I'll try not to," she said and Edmund did not say another word. As they rode on, Joy blew a few loose strands of hair out of her face and looked around at the woods as they rode towards the field. After crossing a ford in the Great River, the plan was for the soldiers to split up. Ember would lead the archers up to the overlooking cliff, and Peter would lead the soldiers to the battlefield. Peter and Rebecca rode back to the archers and said good luck to their siblings.

"Good luck Joy," said Rebecca, and she hugged both Edmund and Joy tightly, then turned Flamewing back towards the front of the line. Peter shook both their hands with his metal-covered hand, since the leather-covered one was holding his shield. Joy noticed that both looked nervous as they rode back to the front of the line.

"Archers! Move forward!" shouted Ember. The archers moved off to the left, and further into the woods. Joy looked back at the line up of soldiers and gripped Edmund's sword belt in a panic. Without the archers in the line, the army now looked a lot smaller. She looked over at Edmund and saw that he looked very worried, and Joy remembered how Edmund had been at the Witch's camp.

"Edmund?" she asked but Edmund shook his head and Joy chose to not say anything. Suddenly, they broke out of the forest and started climbing up a steeply sloping hill. Joy quietly gasped at the size of it, for it seemed to be going straight up into the sky. All the gryphons they had brought along took their places all over the hill, looking around for large rocks. The line of archers reached the top and Philip was panting, completely out of breath. Joy quickly let go of Edmund's belt and slid off Philip's back, and Edmund followed her.

"Thank you, Philip," said Joy as she patted his neck "you are one of the greatest Talking Horses in my book." Philip nodded, too out of breath to speak. Joy took a flask of water and gave Philip a drink to help him catch his breath.

All around her, the centaurs and dwarves were setting up their arrows and equipment, including the Phoenix arrow which was something Joy had never heard of. It was a special kind of arrow which was lit on fire and would turn into a Phoenix and then flames. A torch was set up in a wire basket nearby, already lit, so it would be ready when the moment came in the battle. Joy put down the flask of water and ran to the edge of the cliff as she set an arrow on the string. Edmund ran up beside her. "Joy," he said, "the Witch's army isn't here yet." Joy took a deep breath and slowly relaxed the bowstring.

"You're right Ed," she said, and she put the arrow back into the quiver. She turned to face him. "Edmund, aren't you scared yet?" He became distracted and looked at the opposite side of the valley and Joy watched as his eyes widened. She quickly turned around and looked in that direction. She saw that the gryphon who had brought Peter's message to the Witch was flying across the field towards them, screeching as he flew. Beyond him and on the ground, Joy saw something gray and black and covering a vast amount of ground that was moving slowly towards them. With a cold shock she realized it was the Witch's army.

"Yes, I'm scared Joy," answered Edmund. Mr. Beaver ran up beside Joy and the archers quickly got into position along the cliff's edge. Joy grabbed her arrow out the quiver and set it back on the string.

"This is it Edmund" she said, and they braced themselves for the battle to come.


	12. The Battle

**Chapter Twelve **

Rebecca drew her sword and watched as the gryphon, Coron, flew overhead. She briefly glanced up at the cliff and spotted Joy. She already had an arrow set on her string, and Rebecca smiled proudly at her. She was certain Joy felt the same protective urge to fight for Narnia as she did. Above her, Coron suddenly took a nosedive and landed on Rebecca's right side. Flamewing jerked away from the gryphon but Rebecca held her in place. "Easy, Flamewing," she said, soothing the horse.

"They come, Your Highness," said Coron "in numbers and weapons far greater than our own." A chill of fear swept down Rebecca's spine, but the memory of Aslan filled her with strength and determination and she sat up straighter in the saddle.

"Numbers do not win a battle," said Oreius in a boastful voice, looking over at the two humans.

"No," said Peter solemnly "but I bet they help."

"Aslan believed in you," reminded Rebecca, "and I believe he will lead you to victory." Peter smiled at her words but quickly grew solemn as the sound of a horn cut across the field. Rebecca thought it sounded rather dull and sickly compared to the rich and full sound of Susan's horn from Father Christmas. They all watched as one minotaur appeared on top of a small rise of ground on the other side of the field. Rebecca recognized it from the Witch's meeting with Aslan. The minotaur roared and thrust his massive blade into the air. Beyond him, Rebecca could make out a vast army coming towards them, and her stomach churned at the sight.

Giants, minotaurs, ogres, hags, Black Dwarves, large polar animals, Cyclopses, and ghoulish creatures Rebecca had no name for. She saw shapes formed from leaves floating around the army and remembered what Mr. Beaver had said about the evil trees. But the most horrible sight of all, was when a chariot pulled by two polar bears came up alongside the first minotaur, and the driver was the White Witch. She carried her scepter in one hand and the reins in the other. Rebecca also noticed she had something golden around her neck which was covering the bodice of the dress, and Rebecca realized it was Aslan's mane. Her stomach churned and she looked over at Peter.

He avoided her gaze and looked back towards the cliff behind them. Rebecca looked as well, finding Joy still standing beside Edmund. Edmund nodded gravely at Peter, and Peter turned to face the Witch's army. Joy looked scared, and Rebecca gave her a brave smile before turning around to face the enemy again. Flamewing danced nervously underneath her and Rebecca gripped the reins tighter. "Steady," she whispered, "once the charge begins, you will be fine." She only hoped the same for herself.

Beside Rebecca, Peter took a deep breath and drew his sword, holding the blade out towards the Witch's army. A couple centaurs blew their horns and the rest of the Narnians started shouting. They raised the weapons in the air, cheering as loud as they could. Rebecca raised her sword towards the sky and kept her thoughts on Aslan. The lead minotaur beside the Witch roared again, and the army started running across the field towards them.

It was just as Peter and Edmund had suspected; the Witch had divided her army in half and was withholding the stronger members to finish off the Narnians when the time came. Rebecca slowly lowered her sword and felt a paralyzing fear take over her limbs. _Aslan_, she thought, _please protect us and grant us victory._ Her fear vanished and strength filled her again.

Peter dipped the sword downward for a second, and dozens of gryphons appeared overhead, flying towards the Witch's army. Beside her, Coron took off with a screech, joining his comrades in the sky. They flew over the Witch's army and dropped large rocks on the army. Several gryphons dropped out of the sky, victims of the Witch's deadly dwarves. Coron screeched again and wheeled around to face the Narnians. Rebecca noticed the Witch's army was almost upon them now.

"Are you with me?" asked Peter, looking at his two comrades.

"To the death," said Oreius, and the two looked at Rebecca.

"I'll be here no matter what," said Rebecca. Peter gave her a tight smile, and they looked forward.

"For Narnia," shouted Peter "and for Aslan!" The unicorn reared, the sword blade glistened and for a moment, Rebecca could see the King in him. Then, they charged. Flamewing galloped forward, her nose slightly behind the unicorn's. Rebecca let go of the reins and lifted her shield. The thud of Narnians running behind her filled Rebecca's ears. All she could think of was Joy up on the cliff, Peter to her left, Susan and Lucy who were grieving at Aslan's side, and Edmund, who convinced them all to stay and fight. It was too late for fear, she decided, all she should think of was the now.

The spears lowered all around her, and the Narnian cats rushed out in front of the three leaders. Oreius drew his two swords while Peter and Rebecca lowered their visors. Rebecca's heart was pounding so loud it was all she could hear. She raised her sword and held her shield out in front of her. The lines were fifty feet, then twenty-five feet, then ten feet.

The lines met in the centre of the field.

Yowls, shouts, roars, the clashing of metal against metal became the only sounds she could hear. Rebecca slashed a minotaur across the face, then a white tiger in the belly. Everything was a blur about her, fighting was all that mattered. It was like a fevered dream; she was swinging her sword around and stabbing faceless enemies without knowing what she was doing. She noticed that once you severed a centaur's leg, they became useless as a soldier, and that was something the Witch's army seemed to be taking advantage of. The Witch's army was also using new and powerful weapons, things that made the Narnian swords look like matchsticks.

Rebecca tried to focus on her surroundings when charging towards her came a minotaur. She raised her sword to strike but the minotaur swung its sword at Flamewing's legs. "No!" shouted Rebecca and she heard Flamewing scream in pain. The horse crumpled beneath her. Rebecca flew over Flamewing's head and landed hard on her back. The spirit of an evil tree spun its leaves about her, adding to her confusion and her ankle was starting to throb again. Rebecca began reaching for her sword when a minotaur appeared over her and raised his sword, slick with blood.

"Good-bye, Son of Adam!" growled the beast and Rebecca realized he thought she was Edmund! Rebecca grabbed her sword and slashed it at the minotaur's leg, severing it. The minotaur fell, still trying to jab her with its sword. Rebecca rolled out of the way before it landed on her. She shakily got to her feet and stabbed the minotaur through a niche in the back of its mail shirt.

"I'm a Daughter of Eve," she muttered as she pulled her blade free. She then lifted her visor and looked around for Flamewing. A flash of bright red appeared in the corner of her eye and she turned to look behind her. Flamewing's body lay in the field, with a gash across her stomach, and her blood was staining the grass around her. A scream ripped from her throat and Rebecca turned away, trying not to be sick. An arrow glanced off her right shoulder and Rebecca spun around as a werewolf lunged at her. She ducked and it missed her head. Landing on its hind legs, the werewolf snarled at her and lunged forward again. Rebecca brought her sword down across its face and it dropped like a stone at her feet.

All around her, the Witch's army was falling, and it looked as if the Narnians were winning! A strange bird call came from the sky above the battlefield and the fighting paused long enough for everyone to look up. Rebecca watched as the Phoenix flew over the soldier's heads and burned up into flames. It aimed downward and straight along the grass, and a wall of flames leapt up! Just before the wall of flames blocked the view, Rebecca saw the Witch advancing towards them with the rest of her army, including several giants.

The flames grew higher and wider as it burned up the dry grass. Those who were not fighting started to cheer. Rebecca smiled through the dried tears on her face and the roiling of her stomach slowly came to a halt. She quickly looked around and spotted Peter, still riding the unicorn. He lifted his visor and stared at the flames with a worried expression.

A blue flash broke through the flames! _The Witch's wand_, thought Rebecca. A centaur reared as the Witch broke through the smoke. Her eyes sought out Peter and she headed the polar bears towards him. Peter looked back at the cliff again. Rebecca whirled around and saw Joy, looking terribly worried.

"Fall back!" shouted Peter. "Draw them to the rocks!" One of the centaurs blew their horn, and the archers up on the cliff scrambled away from the cliff. Rebecca started running with the Narnians, cutting down an ogre as she ran. The sound of galloping hooves came up behind her. "Rebecca!" she heard Peter shout. She quickly turned and saw Peter holding out his right hand towards her. She sheathed her sword, grabbed his right hand as he rode by, and swung up behind him. She grabbed his sword belt with her right hand and hoped her shield would protect them as they rode.

"Where's Flamewing?" asked Peter, and a wave of grief swept over Rebecca as she dropped her head onto his shoulder.

"Don't ask Peter," she said, "it," a wave of tears lodged in her throat "it was horrible," she whispered.

"Alright," he said it so quietly that Rebecca almost missed it. She whacked a minotaur in the head with her shield as the unicorn dodged between their enemies.

"Are you alright Peter?" asked Rebecca, trying to take her mind off Flamewing.

"I'm fine," said Peter, but his tone said otherwise. "I still wish Aslan was here." Rebecca agreed.

"I wish so to," she said, "but we must cling to his words and follow in his example." She felt bolstered by her words, and with it came a frisson of anger. "Do you think that the Witch's collar is," she hesitated, not sure of how to say it.

"I know it is, Rebecca," said Peter, anger colouring his words. "And I can't imagine what Lucy and Susan saw last night." Rebecca shuddered at the thought of what had happened and was thankful that Edmund had stopped Joy from following Aslan and the girls last night. Otherwise, Joy would have seen it as well.

Peter directed the unicorn into the Valley of the Rocks. Behind them, the Witch's army was following, weaving through the rocks like a black-grey serpent. The Narnian's arrows flew overheard, and Rebecca spotted Joy's white-feathered arrow among them before they sank into the enemy behind them. Then, Rebecca noticed Black Dwarves running along the top of the valley, and they were firing down on the Narnians. One was aiming at her and Peter!

"Peter, look out!" screamed Rebecca. The arrow sank into the unicorn's hip. It kicked up its back feet and Peter and Rebecca went flying over its head! Again, Rebecca hit the ground hard and the world spun as her bare head connected with the ground. Her helmet had flown off and was lying several feet away. A breeze lifted a few loose strands of hair away from her sweaty face and her braid was catching on the chainmail of her mail shirt. Her ankle was now hurting so bad that Rebecca tried to fight back tears of pain as she grabbed her sword and slowly stood up again.

The unicorn was whinnying in pain, and Peter was on all fours, looking rather dazed. A rhino's grunt further up the hill caught her attention, and she turned away from the Witch's army to see where it was coming from. Oreius and a rhino were watching the two humans and started running towards them. Oreius and the rhino charged past her without a second glance. By now Peter was on his feet, gripping his sword. "Stop!" he shouted as they went by, but neither heard him.

The rhino plowed into the Witch's army but didn't get very far before a tiny goblin cut him down. Oreius leapt over the body and cut down two minotaurs. He charged towards the Witch's chariot. Peter and Rebecca were frozen, unable to tear their eyes away from watching the terrible event unfold. Oreius leaped over the chariot, tried to cut off the Witch's head and landed hard on the ground, staggering. He aimed his sword at the Witch again, ready to strike, when the Witch drove her wand into his chest.

"No!" shouted Rebecca. Peter was still beside her, but the look on his face broke Rebecca's heart. The statue of Oreius fell to the side of the chariot, shattering upon impact, and the Witch stepped out of her chariot with her gaze fixed on the two humans, and a triumphant look on her face. "Oh, Peter," said Rebecca, and then the enemy came upon them.

* * *

The Witch's army had overtaken Peter's army in the Valley of the Rocks. Up on the ridge, the archers were rushing down among the rocks to help their remaining soldiers. Joy was trying to fire on the Witch's soldiers but her hands were shaking with fear. Watching Rebecca go over the head of a horse twice in one day was enough to rattle her nerves. "I wish Aslan was here," she said.

"I'm going down there," said Edmund and he started to the path. Joy panicked and grabbed his arm, forcing him to a halt.

"No!" she cried, for she didn't want to be left alone on the ridge but Edmund yanked his arm out of her grasp. "Peter said not unless it was necessary!" she reminded.

"Well, I think it is!" argued Edmund. A Black Dwarf fired an arrow at him and the two dove behind the rocks to hide. "I can't just stand here," he said. Joy slowly nodded, knowing there was no point in arguing.

"Fine, but I'm coming too," she said, not wanting to waste any more precious time while their soldiers were battling below them. Creeping along the ground and trying to stay out of sight of the deadly dwarves, the pair made their way down towards the battlefield. Edmund rushed down among the soldiers while Joy hung back. She found a little nook between two large rocks which gave her protection from the archers above, and she was out of sight from the soldiers below. But instead of firing, she found herself looking for Rebecca, Edmund and Peter. Rebecca was taking on a hag, and her face was red with exertion while her braided hair was fraying in every direction. Edmund was fighting an ogre and struggling to keep his side protected with the shield. Peter was standing in the middle of the field looking around at the soldiers.

Flashes of blue appeared to Joy's left and she shifted her position to get a better view. With a cold shock, she saw it was the Witch! She was using her wand to turn the Narnians into statues. She twisted to the right and left, and anyone who came close to her became a stone statue. Oreius came to mind and Joy looked away, knowing his broken statue lay somewhere nearby.

Focusing on the battle, Joy took careful aim and fired on the Cyclops that Edmund was now fighting. It sank just behind the shoulder, giving Edmund the opportunity to take it down with one blow. He must have recognized the arrow for he started searching the cliffs around her. Peter started shouting at him, getting his attention, and then Mr. Beaver grabbed Edmund by the hand and started dragging him up the cliff as Peter started fighting another minotaur. Joy ran among the rocks and met the two halfway up the ridge. "What's going on?!" she asked. Edmund didn't answer, watching something down below.

"Peter said we have to get you out of here," said Mr. Beaver, stuffing his bow into the quiver on his back. "Oh, your sister!" Joy instantly searched the valley for Rebecca. She spotted her leaning heavily against a rock, pain evident in her face, and the hag lay dead nearby. A minotaur charged towards Rebecca and she lifted her sword again to fight. Joy knew she wouldn't back down now, but she had to try before…Joy didn't want to think of the worst possibilities.

"I'll get her," she said, and started down the cliff when Mr. Beaver grabbed her hand.

"It's too dangerous!" he shouted. "You two need to get out of here!" Edmund suddenly drew his sword.

"Edmund?" asked Joy. Edmund started running forward, back down towards the battlefield. "Edmund!" she called.

"Peter said," started Mr. Beaver but Edmund turned sharply around and said, "Peter's not king yet!" He then started running along the top of the ridge.

"Edmund!" shouted Joy, and she started running after him.

"Daughter of Eve!" called Mr. Beaver, but Joy ignored him. Edmund made a wide circle along the top of the valley, darting in among the rocks so as not to be spotted. Joy tried to keep up with him but she kept on tripping on her skirt and eventually lost him above where Rebecca was fighting the minotaur. She finally stopped at the top of an outcropping, searching for her friend down in the valley.

"Where'd he go?" she whispered. The sun glinted off a metal helmet down below and Joy's eyes latched onto the sight. Edmund darted out from between two rocks and jumped, sword in the air.

"Stop!" he shouted. The Witch spun around and clutched the wand to her side. She stared at him as he landed on his feet, facing her. Edmund didn't move. Joy quickly set an arrow on the string and aimed at the Witch's heart. To her astonishment, the Witch smiled and held out the wand so it was parallel to the ground. Edmund quickly raised his sword again and brought it down on the wand, severing it in two. A great blue flash appeared and Joy gasped. He had broken the Witch's wand! Joy felt a rush of pride for her friend and didn't fire the arrow. Peter and Rebecca were now watching as well.

The Witch looked beyond furious. Edmund must have noticed for he backed up a step. Using a dead Narnian's sword, the Witch knocked Edmund's out of his hand and drove the broken piece of wand into his stomach! "Edmund!" screamed Joy.

"Edmund!" shouted Peter.

"No!" cried Rebecca. The Witch stared coldly at Edmund as he dropped onto the battlefield. Joy, blinded by anger and panic, ran down between the rocks towards Edmund. Peter gave one last stab to his minotaur and charged at the Witch. Rebecca resumed her fight, her face as white as a sheet. The Witch glanced at Joy as she bolted past her before turning to fight Peter. Joy dropped to her knees beside Edmund, afraid to touch him. She forced herself to speak.

"Edmund? Ed, can you hear me?" she asked.

"Yes," he whispered, his face steadily growing pale. There was a rattling noise to his breathing that didn't sound right. Shoving her bow back into her quiver, Joy bent down and looped her arms beneath his shoulders and slowly pulled him up the hill and away from the Witch and Peter's fight.

"Ow," moaned Edmund softly.

"It's alright Ed," said Joy, her muscles were straining under the weight of the heavy armour. "You'll be fine," she said, and gently set him down on a gently sloping hill around the corner from the main fighting so he wouldn't get hurt. She took out her bow again, set an arrow on the string and knelt beside Edmund, watching the fighting around them.

"Where's my sword?" asked Edmund, slowly opening his eyes.

"You don't need it right now," said Joy "we'll find it later." To be honest, she didn't know where it had landed when the Witch knocked it out of Edmund's hand.

"Joy!" screamed Rebecca. Joy's head flew up and saw Rebecca was pointing behind her. Joy whipped out an arrow, spun around on her knees and fired at an ogre's face and chest. It fell several feet away from her, and Joy turned back to Edmund.

"Where's Peter?" asked Edmund, his voice was getting more and more raspy. Joy fired at a dwarf and looked around, spotting Peter fighting the Witch. She was fighting with two swords, and Joy realized one of them was Edmund's!

"He's fighting the Witch," she said, and tried to slip some confidence into her tone. She looked down at him again. "Stop asking so many questions," she said with mock annoyance. Edmund squinted up at her with a slight smile and Joy smiled back. She then tried to unbuckle his helmet, maybe that would help a little bit. A shadow fell over Edmund's face and Joy looked up to see a white tiger poised on a rock above them, ready to pounce. Joy fired an arrow into its shoulder right before it pounced. A Bulgy Bear leapt in the way and the two rolled down the cliff, clawing at each other.

Joy spotted the Witch and Peter's fight again. She tried slicing Peter's neck, then knocking him off his feet, but Peter kept on coming back. Behind him, Rebecca was watching Peter's fight and her own, still fighting the same minotaur. _Why did everything have to go wrong?_ thought Joy.

"What's happening?" asked Edmund, and with the noise of battle all around her, Joy almost missed the question.

"Peter's still fighting the Witch," she said, "he's doing a good job too!" She looked down at Edmund, who no longer had his eyes open. "Don't try to talk so much, okay?" Edmund didn't respond, but he was still breathing. Joy fired again at an ogre, then reached for another arrow. Her hand felt nothing in the quiver. Joy pulled the quiver down off her back so harshly that the strap broke and examined it. She had run out of arrows. "Oh no," she whispered. She looked around for rocks to throw at approaching enemies.

A roar came from the distance, it was too powerful and terrible to be from one of the many large cats around her. Joy looked up and spotted a golden lion up on a cliff, who roared again. All the fighting stopped, and Joy gasped in amazement.

"Aslan," she said softly. Then she grew louder. "It's Aslan! Ed, he's come back!" She then noticed that standing around Aslan were droves of Narnian soldiers, so many that Joy couldn't begin to guess how many there were. She spotted Lucy and Susan, and even a faun who looked like Mr. Tumnus! The Narnians started climbing down the cliff and into the valley.

Peter and the Witch resumed fighting. But Peter must have been caught off guard, for he was trying to meet the Witch stroke for stroke and he couldn't keep up! Behind him, Rebecca had finally slain her minotaur and ran towards Peter to help him, only to be stopped by two more minotaurs who seemed to be holding her back to keep her from helping him. Joy noticed then that Edmund was gasping for air, wheezing like she had with her bad cough last winter.

"Edmund, you have to stay with me!" she said as tears filled her eyes. "Come on!" She was panicking now, not knowing what to do. She fiddled with the leather strap on his helmet, but her fumbling fingers couldn't undo the strap. "You need to tell Lucy and Susan about your bravery! You need to see Aslan again!" Peter cried out in pain from across the field.

"Ah!" Joy looked up and saw Peter pinned to the ground by his own sword! The Witch stood over him and swiped downward. Peter blocked the blow with his shield but it fell away and off his hand, now useless. The Witch twirled her blade, ready to strike.

"Peter!" screamed Rebecca. She broke through the minotaurs. The Witch raised the blade. Joy covered her face with her hands.

"I can't look!" she cried. She heard Rebecca scream, the Witch cry out and then a series of fierce growls from Aslan. Joy peeked through her fingers and saw Peter kneeling beside Rebecca before he helped to her feet. Joy noticed Rebecca gingerly put weight on her injured ankle as she got to her feet but Rebecca didn't seem to notice, for she flung her arms around Peter and buried her face in his shoulder as he looked towards Aslan. Aslan was standing off to Joy's left, and Joy saw a swatch of blonde hair on the ground behind him before looking back at Aslan.

"It is finished," said the Great Lion.

The White Witch was dead. They had won the battle. Joy breathed a sigh of relief.

"Peter!" called Lucy and Susan as they ran forward. Rebecca let go of Peter and limped away from him so he could hug his sisters. Lucy ran straight to Peter while Susan hugged Rebecca.

"Where's Edmund?" asked Susan, looking around. Peter looked over at Joy and all the children started running towards her. Joy looked down at Edmund's pale face when a grunting to Joy's right made her look up. To her horror, it was Ginaarbrik! He was glaring at Edmund with a tight grip on his axe. Panicking, Joy threw her empty quiver at the dwarf's face and then looked around for a rock or something to throw next.

"Stop right there!" she cried as she picked up a rock.

"Edmund!" called out Susan. Joy watched as she fired an arrow at Ginaarbrik, hitting him squarely in the chest, and all the children continued running. They crowded around Edmund on all sides. Susan quickly removed Edmund's helmet, finally getting the clasp undone. Lucy took a small bottle out of a pouch on her waist and glanced nervously at Susan, who nodded. Rebecca whispered, "One drop will cure any injury." Lucy poured a tiny drop into Edmund's mouth and his laboured breathing stopped.

Peter looked on the verge of tears, so did Susan. Lucy stared into Edmund's face, crying. Rebecca wrapped a comforting arm around Joy's shoulders as her eyes filled with tears and Joy looked away from Edmund. Then, he started coughing.

Joy broke away from Rebecca, ready to hug him at a moment's notice. The tears started drying up all around the group. Edmund opened his eyes and looked up into everyone's faces. Lucy looked at Susan with amazement. Peter quickly pulled Edmund up and hugged him tightly, crying again. Joy and Rebecca sagged against one another with relief as Peter finally let go of Edmund. "When are you going to learn to do as you're told?" he asked, choking on the words. Edmund only smiled in response.

Lucy launched herself at Edmund, knocking him into Peter again. Peter grabbed Rebecca's arm and pulled her into the hug, followed by Susan and lastly Joy. In the middle, Edmund said, "I can't breathe!" The children all moved back laughing, and then Edmund's joking smile faded as he looked over Peter's shoulder. Joy followed his gaze and saw Aslan. She was so relieved and happy to find out he was alive after all that tears filled her eyes.

Aslan breathed on a stone statue of a satyr, and it came back to life! Joy gasped. Lucy picked up the bottle of healing cordial, smiled at the others and started running away. "Lucy, wait!" called out Peter. She stopped in her tracks and looked back, confused. "Could you heal Rebecca's ankle before you run off?" Lucy looked at Aslan, who nodded, and she smirked as she came running back to the group. Rebecca pulled off her boot and Joy winced as she saw the bandage was red with blood.

"The Witch swiped at my ankle right before Aslan reached her," said Rebecca, and she stiffly removed the wrapping, visibly in pain by the tightness around her mouth. The last bandage fell away and the children gasped and looked away from the raw, bleeding wound. Lucy, looking a little sick, poured a drop on the ankle, and suddenly it looked good as new! Rebecca quickly hugged Lucy and leapt to her feet. "Hey," she moved her right arm "my arm has healed as well!"

Lucy then ran off and spent the rest of the afternoon tending to the injured soldiers while Aslan breathed on the stone statues. To everyone's relief, he even brought back Oreius! Then, on the field of battle, Aslan knighted Edmund and commended him for his bravery in severing the Witch's wand. Lucy and Susan whispered amongst themselves throughout the ceremony until Peter told them to shush. Afterwards, Rebecca collected hers and Peter's scattered weapons while Joy gave Edmund the biggest hug she could muster.

By the time evening fell, all the Narnians returned to the camp. The Narnians who had stayed behind, Jamila included, held a great celebration in honour of their victory. Several centaurs brought out huge casks of spiced wine, a favourite Narnian drink. All the children tried it and discovered it was actually quite nice. During the celebration, Lucy introduced everyone to Mr. Tumnus, and Edmund apologized to him for the betrayal. Mr. Tumnus forgave him, and then joined in with the dancing fauns and satyrs.

Sometime later, Aslan called all the Narnians together before his tent and called for silence. "Silence!" he said in a strong, yet gentle voice. "Tomorrow we shall pack up camp and move to the castle of Cair Paravel to begin preparations for the coronation of our Kings and Queens." All the Narnians cheered. The children smiled and laughed with them, and even Aslan smiled from his place on the dais.

Narnia had been restored.


	13. Preparation for the Coronation

**Forgive me my readers for neglecting this story! Life has gotten busy with story ideas crowding around in my mind and other life's difficulties. However, I will wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Forgive me if this chapter is not up to par, but I'm hoping the next chapter will make you all happy and provide many surprises, and answers. As there isn't too much left before the finish, please feel free to let me know if you want a follow-up with "Prince Caspian", and a return of Rebecca and Joy. I have some ideas that I would really like to write and I'm hoping you will want to continue with these characters for another adventure. **

**Happy reading! **

**Chapter Thirteen**

Aslan allowed the Narnian army a day to rest after the battle before moving the army to Cair Paravel for the coronation of the new Kings and Queens. The children slept half the day away while the camp was slowly dismantled and packed for the trek to the castle at the river mouth. When they awoke, they were given fresh clothes to wear, a hot meal and each were assigned a horse, or unicorn, to ride to the castle the next day.

Edmund, to Joy's dismay, had become fast friends with Philip, which left Joy to a new horse named Sharon who reminded Joy of the huge English draft horses she remembered seeing in the countryside. Rebecca received a stallion named Saffire who had a blue/grey coat and a white/gold mane, whom she took a liking to from the instant she saw him. Susan and Lucy received gentle mares of gold and silver colouring named Acorn and Liberty. Peter still rode the unicorn whom Lucy had healed yesterday on the battlefield with her cordial.

Late that afternoon, Joy and Rebecca walked over to the stables to spend some time with their horses. "Rebecca?" asked Joy as she brushed Sharon's coat. "Are you still thinking about Flamewing?" Rebecca plucked some burs from Saffire's coat before answering.

"Yes," said Rebecca, slowly turning around to face her "but when I talked to Aslan about her, he said that she was in his country, where she will never suffer again." A peaceful look came over Rebecca's face and she turned her attention back to Saffire's coat. Joy frowned.

"That's it? No tears?" asked Joy. She couldn't understand the peace and calm that filled her sister's eyes, for she had never seen her sister like this before. Curiosity filled her and she asked, "Is that what talking to Aslan does to you?" In response, Rebecca shrugged.

"I don't know," she said with a half smile. Joy felt utterly confused and buried her face in Sharon's light brown mane.

"I bet you still miss Flamewing," she whispered, pressing her cheek against the horse's neck.

"Yes," said Sharon softly, and she rubbed her head against Joy's shoulder. Joy smiled and looked up as Rebecca glanced over her shoulder at her.

"I wonder what Cair Paravel will be like," she said, and Joy instantly brightened, solemn thoughts instantly forgotten.

"Yes! I can't wait to see it," said Joy excitedly. She went back to brushing Sharon's mane.

"Me too," said Sharon, and a deep voice chimed in "Me, as well," and Joy looked from Sharon to Saffire. Both horses were smiling, only Saffire's looked more serious.

"I bet its beautiful," said Joy wistfully "with shimmering floors and halls. And crystal chandeliers!" Joy sighed with happiness. "And balconies from which you can see all of Narnia," she looked over at Rebecca. "I can't believe we'll get to live there," she said.

"If the Kings and Queens allow you to live there," said Saffire, and Rebecca's head snapped to attention. She looked over at Joy and Joy realized what she was thinking.

Now that the battle had been fought and won, what would happen to the two of them? What was the plan for their future here in Narnia? A lost and helpless feeling washed over Joy and she looked over at Rebecca. Rebecca gave her a gentle smile and addressed Saffire.

"I think they will allow us, Saffire," she said. "I mean, they are our friends. They wouldn't turn their backs on us just because they are crowned Kings and Queens." Joy looked at Rebecca, her doubts melting away, and Rebecca met her eyes with a slight nod. Joy instantly thought Rebecca would make a good Queen. She was so strong and sure, but also peaceful and gentle at the same time. She had spent a couple hours talking with Aslan earlier that day, and Joy wondered if that was the affect Aslan had on those who talked to him. At least, those who hadn't made mistakes like she had. She shook her head to get rid of the guilty thoughts and turned her attention back to Sharon.

The rest of the day was spent with their mounts and trying to help around the camp. Only Peter had something to do as he was always with Aslan, talking about the coronation and the move to Cair Paravel. Once evening fell, the children slept out under the stars, wrapped up tightly in blankets and with two centaurs standing guard nearby. The last thing Joy remembered before shutting her eyes was the constellation, the _Ship_, flapping its sails and carrying her across the starry sea.

Early the next morning, the children rolled up the blankets and packed them away in a wagon. After a quick breakfast, the children mounted their horses and made their way to the main crowd of Narnians to where Aslan waited in the mouth of the valley. Joy recognized it as the place where she and Philip had arrived at Aslan's Camp. She looked around at the remainder of the camp, surprised by the change. All the tents had been taken down and bundled into carts and wagons, along with all the weapons, food and the sparse furniture. The carts were being pulled by non-Talking animals, mainly those who were taken from the Witch's camp after Oreius and Aslan raided it. Most Narnians were yawning as they packed up, Joy included.

Peter was at the front of the procession with Aslan, riding the unicorn again. Behind him, Aslan and Oreius, Susan, Edmund and Lucy lined up their mounts and waited. Then, behind the three Pevensies, came Rebecca and Joy. They stopped the horses and waited, while Aslan looked in all the faces of all the children. A smile crept into his eyes as he looked at Rebecca and Joy, and Joy couldn't help but smile back. Then, Aslan nodded at the centaur, Lidnar, standing to the right of the procession, who blew his horn and they started out.

Aslan led the Narnians out of the valley and along the coast of the Eastern Sea. Joy's breath caught in her throat as she stared at the glistening waters. The sea spread to the horizon, and Joy watched the pink and orange skies as the sun rose out of the sea. White birds flew over head and Joy spotted a spout of water from a whale in the distance. She looked to her left and saw Rebecca watching as well.

Joy had to admit that Rebecca somehow looked older than she had two days ago, and Joy thought Rebecca looked every bit the Lady that the Narnians called her. She rode with perfect posture, her dark blue cloak set off her golden hair which shone in the early sunlight, and her expression was serene. Joy realized she was envying her and looked back at the sea. For a moment, she wanted to be called a Lady, only to remember Philip had called her that by the river when she had been rescued by the naiad. Was that to be her and Rebecca's perspective titles? She then heard her name and her eyes homed in on Philip.

"I was the horse who rescued the Lady Joy from the Witch's dungeon," bragged Philip, and Joy smiled at her friend's words.

"'Lady Joy'?" said Edmund, and he started laughing. Joy's smile fell. "I don't think she's a Lady, but she's a good friend." That statement made all the envy in Joy's heart dissolve and she smiled. Strangely, his words made her feel better, and Joy felt she would rather be known as a friend than by a title. She quickly looked away from her friends and focused her eyes on the horizon so she could watch for mermaids.

The group of Narnians rode along the coast with a large escarpment to the left and low hills on their right, until both suddenly vanished and they were riding on a sandy beach. Two mermaids jumped out of the water on their right side and waved at the children. Joy and Lucy quickly waved back before the mermaids splashed down in the water again.

Up on the hill above them was a large shining castle. Joy thought it looked so much brighter than the Witch's dreary-looking castle. With towers and fortifications, the castle covered the entire hilltop and the Southern side of the hill. As they rode up the hill and got closer, Joy could see balconies, the gatehouse, columned halls which looked out into the open air, battlements, and the Keep which was situated on the very top of the hill.

Aslan led the procession through the gate and passed a crumbling wall which ringed all the way around the castle. Peter pointed at it and said something to Aslan, who slowly nodded. The group came to a halt in front of a large wooden door stood before them at the base of the Western tower. "Dismount, Sons and Daughters of Adam and Eve," said Aslan, and all the children complied. Several dwarves led the horses away as the children followed Aslan to the large door. "Peter," said Aslan, "you may unlock the door." Peter took a golden key from a ring which was attached to his sword belt and he inserted it in the lock. It squeaked, like the lock had not been turned in a very long time. Joy heard the tumblers groan, and the hinges screeched as the door swung open.

Inside, everything was dark and dusty. The children's shoulders drooped with disappointment. "So much for crystal chandeliers," whispered Rebecca to Joy, and Joy scowled. She had to admit that from outside she had thought everything would be bright and beautiful on the inside as well.

"Go on, children," said Aslan from behind them, and so the children walked forward. Peter carried a lit torch in his hand as he led them down the corridor and up a tall flight of stairs. The room grew lighter the further they climbed, and Joy felt a fresh breeze brush across her face as she climbed alongside Edmund, Suddenly, the group stepped out into the open air.

From the top room of the tower, they could see the entire bay below them, and all the battlements and stairs which led from one section of the castle to the next. Edmund, Joy and Lucy ran forward to explore while the older siblings called after them and then gave them chase! Joy ducked into the top tower room of the Southern tower and looked out at the Narnian countryside below. Directly below her was a cliff, and down to the left was a small tower which sat almost at the water line.

"Found you!" said a voice from behind. Joy screamed and whirled around, startled. Edmund grinned at her, and then ran out onto the balcony. Joy ran after him and chased him down several hallways and across the battlements until he came to a halt on the Southern balcony. Both stopped running, clutching their stomachs and breathing heavily. When she regained her breath, Joy grabbed the railing with excitement.

"Can you believe we get to live here Ed?" she asked in a dreamy voice. The sun was high in the sky, making the water below look bluish-green, and the surf a glittering white.

"I think so," he said in a matter-of fact tone. Joy looked at him sideways, and he shrugged, smirking. Joy smirked back as an idea formed in her mind.

"You're it!" she said, gently slapping Edmund's shoulder as she ran past him and into the solar behind them. Coming out through a Western door, she ran across the battlements, through another tower room and turned North. She could hear Edmund's footsteps behind her and she kept on running. Lucy joined her, laughing gaily.

The two girls led Edmund through what looked to be a dining hall and found a great staircase leading into the yard below them. They ran down the stairs, across the yard and into a side door. This part of the castle looked to be where the bedchambers were. Joy and Lucy darted from room to room, looking which one was bigger and which would potentially be theirs. Edmund finally caught up to them in the largest room at the end of the hall and they all collapsed on the bed laughing.

"There you are!" came a voice from the doorway. The children slowly sat up or in Edmund's case, propped himself up on his elbows and looked over his shoulder at the intruder. It was Mrs. Beaver, carrying a stack of linens. "Would you all head to the dining hall please?" she asked, bowing her head slightly with respect. She pointed at the hallway with her paw and glared at the children with a stern expression, and for a moment she reminded Joy of Mrs. Macready. She looked at Edmund and Lucy and she could tell they were thinking the same thing. The children quickly left the room and walked slowly down the hallway.

"I wonder what is waiting for us up there?" asked Edmund.

"Its probably the others," said Joy, crossing her arms "and they'll tell us not to act like children by running madly through the halls like we have."

"But it sure was fun though!" piped up Lucy, making Joy and Edmund laugh. They headed out the side door again and up the large staircase. Joy thought it seemed bigger going up than coming down. Panting and breathless, the three children reached the top of the stairs, turned to their left and entered the open door which beckoned to them. Now that Joy was no longer tearing through the hall like a madman, she looked around at the beautiful hall.

Large windows with stained-glass details lined the South side of the room which overlooked the sea. Beyond the windows there was a column-lined balcony. There was a corridor leading off to the left, if Joy went down that corridor, she would probably find herself heading up towards the Keep and the Great Hall. Susan, Peter and Rebecca were standing around Aslan, beside a long table with many chairs around it. A bowl of fresh fruit sat on the end of the table closest to them but there was no tablecloth. Edmund instantly went over and picked up an apple.

"Children," said Aslan, drawing all the children close to him. "Tomorrow night is your coronation," he said, looking into each of the Pevensie's faces "until then we will be getting the castle ready." The children nodded. "You will be given appropriate clothes for the coronation, and I will be in charge of things until then." He rested a heavy velveted paw on Peter's shoulder. "That will give you a rest, Son of Adam." Joy agreed, Peter _did_ look tired, and they all probably did after a rough night sleeping on the ground.

"I can help you Aslan," said Rebecca "if you wish." She stepped forward, ready to assist.

"Rebecca and Joy," said Aslan, looking at the sisters and it suddenly occurred to Joy that she looked like a mess. "You will find Ember in the solar. I need to talk to our Kings and Queens about some details for the coronation." Joy and Rebecca nodded and then Joy led her sister out onto the balcony.

"Why do you think we are meeting Ember in the solar?" she asked, as they walked down some dark stairs.

"I think for our coronation dresses," said Rebecca "we can't go in these dirty dresses." Joy nodded, suddenly remembering she slept on the ground last night in this dress. The girls left the stairs and went through another set of doors before they came out into the sun-filled solar. Ember was there with her pins, pin cushion, and rolls of exquisite fabrics were resting on the chairs and couches; silver in varying shades and patterns, burgundy, gold, blue, purple. Both Rebecca and Joy gawked at the variety and Ember chuckled at the two.

"You humans are all alike when it comes to fabrics." She gestured to Joy. "You're first, my Lady." Rolling her eyes, Joy removed her cloak and stood on a stool with her arms spread wide. Ember took the measuring tape from around her neck and held it up, scribbling the measurements on a piece of parchment with a feather pen.

"Alright," Ember motioned for Joy to step down "you're next, Lady Rebecca." Joy sat down beside a pile of fabrics while Rebecca was measured, wrapping her cloak around her arm. Ember held up some swatches of fabric; dark green and silver with a leafy pattern woven into the silky material. "Hm," sighed Ember "I want to use the perfect material that will match your colouring perfectly."

"Why not red again?" asked Rebecca, holding the silver swatch on level with her eyes.

"No," said Ember with a smirk, "the High King has already seen you in red." Rebecca blushed, Ember smirked, and Joy thought she would be used to the teasing by now. "Don't worry, I will find something perfect for you." Ember turned back to a chair covered in gold and blue fabrics.

"What about me?" asked Joy from her seat by the mound of many coloured silks and velvets. Ember thought for a moment with a twinkle in her eye, before shrugging.

"I have a couple of ideas," she said, and then she made a shooing motion "now get out of here, both of you" she said with a secretive smile "I have to get sewing." Rebecca picked up her cloak and the two girls left the solar.

"I wonder what the mystery is," remarked Joy, looking over her shoulder at the closed door.

"Me too," said Rebecca. "All the Narnians have been incredibly nice to me since the battle. I wonder what it all means," she said with a pensive tone, and then shrugged. "Its probably because they're grateful that we helped save Narnia from the Witch."

"They probably think you'll marry Peter," said Joy, and she burst out laughing as Rebecca's face turned red.

"Joy!" Rebecca quickly stepped in front of her, forcing Joy to halt in the middle of the hallway. "Honestly, you have no idea how royalty works. A King must marry a Queen or a Princess in line to the throne." Rebecca recited that so easily that Joy thought Rebecca must have thought it all out long before this conversation. "Don't say anything like that again, alright?" she asked and Joy nodded, feeling sorry for her sister. Rebecca turned away and headed towards the Southern tower. Joy turned left into another hallway and wandered back towards the dining hall.

The children were kept busy the rest of the afternoon with fittings, exploring the rest of the castle and helping with the cleanup as well. Joy scrubbed windows in the Dining Hall, swept the dust out of her room, and helped Mrs. Beaver out in the kitchen. Rebecca and Peter walked the length of the castle walls and made notes of which places needed repairs. Susan oversaw the family wing of the castle and made sure the rooms would be cleaned out and freshened up before bedtime that night, which was why Joy ran down to the kitchen immediately after sweeping. Edmund spent the rest of the day with the horses and joined Joy in the kitchen before supper. Lucy and Mr. Tumnus spent the day catching up and talking, and Lucy introduced him to her other Narnian friends.

While the sun was setting, the children walked down to the beach for one last evening of fun before the solemn occasion tomorrow. They quickly discarded their shoes and weapons and girls took the ribbons out of their hair before running into the waves. A splash fight quickly ensued among Joy, Edmund and Lucy, which continued to grow and gradually involved the others as well, leaving all the children soaked to the bone. At one point, Joy swam out to look for mermaids but there were none in sight. The skirt of her dress tried to drag her out to sea and Rebecca and Edmund had to drag her back to shore. The children then looked for tide pools and different sea creatures up and down the beach until the sun was nothing but a sliver of light on the horizon.

After putting their shoes back on and wrapping themselves up in blankets, the children headed to their rooms in the Western wing of the castle. Joy recognized it as the hallway she, Lucy and Edmund had run down earlier that day. Peter had the largest room at the end of the hall, then Edmund's and Susan's rooms were on the North side of the hall, and Rebecca's, Joy's and Lucy's were on the South side. Before they all went inside, Mrs. Beaver told all the children to go right to bed so they would be well-rested for the next day and walked away.

Joy was surprised to have her own room, but at the same time she knew she would enjoy it! There was a large window facing the ocean, and a window seat perched underneath. A large mirror was standing in the corner, and beside it was a large oak wardrobe. A writing desk sat against the wall, beneath another window which looked down at the castle wall and the ocean beyond it. But the thing that most excited Joy was the large four-poster bed with two fluffy white pillows that seemed to be calling to her tired eyes. She quickly pulled off her wet dress and shift and put on the provided nightgown hanging in the wardrobe and then pulled the curtains shut. Flopping down on the bed, she stared at the ceiling.

She had never had a room to herself before, and she felt rather odd. Maybe she should go talk to Rebecca, maybe- There was a knock on her door. "Come in?" she said and sat up quickly. The door creaked open and Joy smiled at the intruder. "Rebecca?" She thought her sister looked like a golden-haired ghost in her white nightgown while being framed in the torchlight behind her.

"Need some company?" asked Rebecca as she closed the door behind her. Joy thought the room seemed a little brighter and warmer with Rebecca's presence, and she nodded.

"Sure," said Joy, and she slid to the left so Rebecca could climb up beside her. "Careful, I kick," she whispered before slamming a pillow over head as Rebecca said, "You do not!" Joy laughed and crawled out from under the pillow. The two settled down and Joy relaxed at the familiar sound of Rebecca's breathing. She was half-asleep when Rebecca's voice floated through the darkness.

"Joy?" she whispered. "Are you asleep?"

"Yes," mumbled Joy, not carrying if she told the truth or not.

"I'm glad you weren't hurt in battle," said Rebecca, and Joy jumped as Rebecca's arms snaked around her middle and pulled her into a hug. "I don't think I could bear almost losing you again." Joy smiled at the word.

"Don't worry Rebecca," she said, "I promise I won't cause you trouble anymore," Rebecca sighed, relieved. "On purpose," Joy added before laughing again. The two stopped laughing as the door opened again. Joy looked up to see two more silhouettes standing in the doorway, one shorter and one taller.

"Joy? Rebecca?" came Lucy's voice. "Can Susan and I join you?" The two girls sat up in bed and looked at each other. Joy looked back and Lucy and nodded. With a grin, Lucy tore across the room and jumped onto the bed, as well as Rebecca's leg.

"Ouch!" exclaimed Rebecca and she quickly climbed out of bed to grab an extra blanket from the wardrobe.

"Sorry!" cried Lucy. Susan closed the door and then sat down on the edge of the bed.

"You sure you don't mind?" asked Susan. Rebecca set the extra blanket on the bed in front of Susan. Joy shook her head.

"No," she said, "this is going to be fun!" She dove back under the covers and Lucy crawled up beside her.

"Like a sleepover!" said Lucy excitedly.

"Alright," said Rebecca, and Joy saw her winking at Susan in the dim light from the filmy curtains on the windows "but nobody is going to stay up late chatting! We have a big day tomorrow." The girls all curled up together under the blankets, and silence filled the room again.

"Rebecca," said Susan, and Joy felt Rebecca tense up against her leg "what's going on with you and Peter?" Rebecca let out a long sigh, and Joy remembered the speech she gave her earlier.

"I, I don't know Susan," said Rebecca hesitantly. "I don't know how to talk to him about it because one minute I think there's something between us, and the next there isn't."

"Oh, Peter likes you, Rebecca," said Lucy "I know it, he told me," and she curled up next to Joy.

"Thanks Lucy," said Rebecca, and Joy took note of the smile in her tone. Rebecca then sat up and looked around at the girls. "You girls are the best friends I could ask for," she said. Lucy suddenly wacked Rebecca in the head with a pillow.

"You were saying?" she said cheekily, and the pillows started flying. The girls squealed and laughed as they mock fought on top of the bed. Joy rolled off and landed in a heap on the floor, and Lucy hit her over the head again. Someone started pounding on the door, and all the girls froze, including Joy with her arm over her head and a pillow clenched in her fist.

"Would you all quiet down and let us two get some sleep?" shouted Edmund. All the girls started laughing and Joy felt so weak from laughter that she needed Rebecca to pull her up onto the bed. Edmund pounded in the door again.

"As your future King," came Peter's voice "I order you to pipe down and get some sleep." Joy could tell he was teasing.

"Of course, Your royal Highness!" said Rebecca in a high, floaty voice. The girls fell apart laughing again. Lucy chucked a pillow at the door and Joy got up to retrieve it.

"Silly girls," said Edmund through the door.

"You've got that right, Ed!" shouted back Joy. The girls and the boys argued back and forth through the door until Mrs. Beaver came along and shooed the boys back to their rooms. Finally, Joy's room went quiet in the early hours of the morning and the girls all fell asleep on top of each other, bundled up under the blankets.


	14. The Coronation

**Chapter Fourteen**

Sunlight burst through the curtains and penetrated Joy's eyelids. She winced at the bright light and slowly opened her eyes. A badger was waddling about the room and picking up the stray pillows which the girls had thrown on the floor during the pillow fight last night. Joy slowly sat up. "Who are you?" she whispered. The badger was startled but quickly smiled at her.

"You're awake?" asked the badger, and a series of groans and shoves broke out across the bed. "Good morning Your Majesties! Good morning Ladies!" The badger smiled as Lucy slowly sat up beside Joy. Susan quickly slid out from under the extra blanket and rubbed her eyes while Rebecca pulled the blanket over her head to block out the sunshine.

"Who are you?" asked Joy again, and the badger curtsied.

"I am Beatrice," she said, "your maidservant." She straightened up and looked at the girls. "Forgive me Your Majesties and Ladies, but you are all due in the Dining Hall for breakfast, followed by a rehearsal for the coronation." Susan and Lucy slowly climbed off the bed, yawning their heads off, but somehow managed to get down the hall to their rooms. Joy pulled the blanket off Rebecca's head and laughed when her sister let out a loud groan.

"Come on," said Joy. "We all have to get up!" Rebecca rolled off the bed and landed with a thud on the floor. She shuffled slowly to the door with her eyes half-closed. Joy started laughing at her when Rebecca suddenly squeaked and slammed the door.

"Peter's out there!" she whispered frantically. That sent Joy doubling over in laughter. Rebecca made a face at her, then peeked out the door again. Peter must have left for she darted out the door like an arrow from a bow and closed it quickly behind her.

Joy washed her face and then let Beatrice help her into a coral-coloured dress with silver stitching on the cuffs and around the collar. After running a brush through her hair, Joy rushed down the hallway, walking as quickly as she could without Rebecca telling her to stop running. She ran into Lucy at the stairs, dressed in pink, who was also walking rather quickly. The two girls walked up the indoor set of stairs without having to go into the yard, took a right turn down the nearest hallway and came out in the Dining Hall.

The table was set with seven place settings, and Aslan was seated at the head. Peter sat on his right, and the seat on his left was no doubt being held for Susan. Edmund was seated next to Peter, and the seat beside him was empty. Joy sat across from Edmund, with Lucy on her left and then Susan and Rebecca came rushing into the room, dressed in deep purple and sea green. Susan went to the seat on the other side of Aslan, but Aslan shook his head and said the place was for Rebecca. The children all stared at her, but Rebecca nodded calmly and made her way around the table where she took the seat. Then, Susan's slightly jealous look disappeared as a look of realization took over her features and she quickly sat down beside Edmund. The two exchanged smiles and Joy gave Rebecca a shrug before digging into the feast spread out before her.

Once they had finished the magnificent breakfast, Aslan stood up and told the children he would show them to the Keep and the Great Hall where the coronation will take place later that day. The children stood up as well and followed Aslan down a hallway. He led the six children North, up a large open-air staircase and into the Keep. A small narrow hallway greeted them along with a large window looking out at the sea and on the other side stood a marvelous set of doors in the centre of the Eastern wall. Joy thought they looked to be carved of ivory and stretched from floor to ceiling. Aslan pushed the doors open with his great paws and all the children gasped at the sight before them.

The roof had glass panels running the length of the room, making the room incredibly bright. Columns lined the Southern and Northern sides of the room, and they were carved of a light-coloured stone with a gold ring around the top just before the column met up with the ceiling. The walls and floor were made of the same material with a gold inlay lining the edge of the room, and a dais stood at the end of the room. Large windows also lined the Northern side of the wall. Up on the dais stood four thrones, all made of the same light-coloured stone. Each was inlaid with a design made of gold, and a cushion sat at the base of each throne. Behind the thrones was a huge stained-glass window which looked somewhat like peacock feathers, and it stretched all the way to the roof. Joy was awed by the sight, and as she looked around at the others, she could tell they were feeling the same way.

The children slowly walked forward, and the space felt too solemn to even speak. Joy was sure their voices would echo throughout the large space. The children slowly approached the dais and when they reached it, everyone paused. No one dared to step up on the stairs up to the dais, it seemed like a daunting obstacle in front of them. Joy looked at the others and saw only Rebecca and Peter with calm expressions. Susan and Lucy were smiling but Edmund looked solemn, and slightly guilty. Joy then remembered what had happened at the Witch's castle and understood how he felt. A large part of her deep shame for following Edmund welled up inside her and Joy felt unworthy to step on the dais. Aslan stood to the side of the room, on Joy's right, and explained how the coronation would proceed.

"First, our two sisters," he looked at Rebecca and Joy "will walk down the centre of the room, centaurs will stand before the columns with banners" he gestured with his paw to the centre of the room "and you will come up the stairs and stand over there, to the right of the dais." He pointed at the Northern wall, which would have been to the left of all the thrones. Rebecca and Joy took their positions and waited. Aslan then lined up the children in front of their thrones but told them not to sit. However, he did noticed how Lucy was much shorter than the seat of her throne and he told her she would have a footstool for the event. "Alright, now I will see all of you tonight," and he clapped his paws in dismissal.

The children stepped off the dais and Aslan left out the side door to the left of the dais. Joy approached Edmund, who was staring at his throne again over his shoulder. "Ed?" she asked, and he whirled around.

"Oh," he said, and his shoulders sank as he let out a long sigh. "I know what you're thinking."

"Yes," said Joy, "and you need to stop thinking about it." The bitter taste of being a hypocrite filled her mouth but she pressed on. "You were different when we stood in the Witch's Great Hall. You were filled with anger and greed," she said. "But I know you're different now, you're my friend and I'm glad for that." She gave him a light punch to his shoulder to make him smile, and it worked. He looked up and the smile faded.

"Will you forgive yourself then?" he asked. "I can tell you've been hard on yourself too." Joy felt caught and remembered the look in Aslan's eyes when he talked to her back at the Camp. He had forgiven her, why couldn't she forgive herself? Edmund lifted his hand, palm open. "I think we both need to forgive ourselves. Alright?" Joy slowly nodded and grabbed his hand, a slow grin blooming on her face.

"Alright, Ed," she said, and instantly she felt lighter, like a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders, and she could tell Edmund felt the same way. Edmund let go of her hand as Rebecca came up beside Joy.

"Come on," she said "lets head to the solar. Ember will probably be ready for another fitting." They waved to the Pevensies who were gathering around Peter and left through the carved ivory doors at the end of the room. "What a beautiful room," remarked Rebecca as they stepped out onto the staircase.

"Yes," said Joy. "That's more what I was talking about the other day when I said what I was expecting at the castle." Rebecca smirked and Joy felt slightly embarrassed so she quickly changed the subject. "Say Rebecca, have you seen your dress yet?" she asked.

"No," said Rebecca, and she shrugged. "I think Ember wants to surprise us," she said. They headed to the solar and spent the rest of the morning there while Ember stitched and pinned their dresses and the girls wore blindfolds so as not to spoil Ember's surprise. Joy did not know what expect, she only knew the fabric was silky and the sleeves felt like some sort of gauze. After her fitting, Joy decided to wander the castle to see what was going on.

The rest of the castle was a flurry of activity: getting the Great Hall ready, cleaning up the last few rooms in the Guest Wing, preparing the food for the banquet, dusting off the gold dishes, polishing the trumpets. Everywhere Joy went in the castle, there was always something happening. She was shooed away from the kitchen after snagging a piece of candied fruit from a tray. When she tried to watch the dwarves make the crowns, they told her to leave for fear sparks from the fire would burn her dress or her face. So, she wandered off to the stables to visit Philip, Sharon, Acorn, Liberty and Saffire.

She was just coming around the corner where the stalls were lined up when a flash of orange caught her eye. Joy stopped abruptly and quickly followed it while her heart was beating wildly. Hope bloomed in her heart. "Mr. Fox?" she asked, hoping she wasn't seeing things. A fox's head peeked around the corner ahead with the same intelligent eyes, and Joy let out a gasp of delight.

"Lady Joy?" asked the fox. Joy grabbed her skirts and ran forward.

"You're alive!" she shouted and dropped down to her knees. She wrapped her arms around the animal and gave him a tight hug. "I'm so happy to see you!"

"Now," said Mr. Fox "as a rule I don't accept hugs, but today I don't mind," and he nuzzled her neck while Joy laughed at the tickle from the whiskers. Then, the fox leapt away from her once she loosened her grip and shook out his fur, making Joy giggle. However, as the fox grinned up at her, Joy's laughter faded and serious questions filled her mind.

"But what happened to you?" she asked. "Edmund told me you had been turned into a statue on the other side of the river!"

"I was," said Mr. Fox "but Aslan brought me back to life when they raided the Witch's camp." He told her about his capture and Joy told him about the swim across the river, the naiad and the wolves that chased her and Philip to Aslan's Camp. She also told him about the battle and Mr. Fox said he wished he had been there to see her fighting. "It would have fulfilled my family's dreams to see you in action," he said. Joy wondered at the meaning of his words but brushed them off as wishing to see humans deliver Narnia from the White Witch.

"I'm so glad you're back," she said, "I've missed you so much." Mr. Fox smiled up at her.

"I missed you too," he said, "just no more hugs." He shook his head again like the thought disgusted him, making Joy laugh again.

"I promise," she said and held out her hand to him. Mr. Fox stared at it and looked up at her with curiosity.

"Do you want me to sniff it or something?" he asked, and Joy laughed.

"Oh, no," she said. "It's called a 'handshake' in our world." She gently picked up one of his paws and shook it in her hand. "Like that," she said. Mr. Fox nodded, then pulled his paw away.

"Well, thank you, Daughter of Eve," he said as he stood up "now I must get going. The coronation will be starting soon." Joy instantly jumped to her feet.

"Already?!" she exclaimed. At that moment, Ember appeared down the hall.

"Lady Joy, you have to get ready," she said. "The coronation starts in an hour!" Joy took off running down the hallway towards Ember.

"Good-bye Mr. Fox!" she called back over her shoulder. She reached Ember and said, "I'm sorry, I lost track of the time." Ember quickly turned around and she started walking quickly down the hallway. Joy had to jog to keep up with her.

"Its alright," said Ember, who gave her a brief smile and the two rushed through the hallways and dodged around centaurs, dwarves, and other manners of Narnian creatures, until they reached Joy's room. She left Joy at her door and ran off to get her dress. Joy entered her room, closing the door behind her and saw Beatrice busying about the room and the badger jumped when she saw her.

"We have to hurry," said Beatrice, who instantly helped pull the coral dress over Joy's head, forced her to change her shift, scrubbed her face and then sat her down in front of the mirror. Beatrice brushed her hair, parted it and then got to work. She braided the crown of her hair into a fancy braid, letting the rest hang loose, but wove it through with sky-blue ribbons and knotted them together at the back of her head. When she turned Joy around to admire it, Joy was amazed to see the ends of the ribbon disappear into her hair without a trace. Beatrice filed down the rough edges of Joy's nails with her own claws, then Ember came in with her dress.

It was a sky-blue colour, and fell straight from the shoulders to the floor, and Joy thought it looked like a waterfall. The sleeves were slightly puffed out around her shoulders and then fell straight to her wrists. There was silver stitching around the neckline which looked like tiny flowers, silver buttons lined up down the back, and the wispy sleeves looked almost see-through. Ember quickly undid the buttons and Joy stepped into the dress. The fabric felt soft against her skin, and once the last button was done up, Ember turned her around to face the mirror.

Joy hardly recognized the girl staring back at her. She seemed older, more like a Lady. Joy took a step closer to the mirror and smiled when the soft fabric swished around her ankles. "That's me?" she asked and she pointed at the reflection.

"Yes," said Ember, grinning from ear to ear. "Now I have to look at your sister," and Ember quickly left the room again.

"You look lovely," said Beatrice "and considering how I had to rethink your hair at the last second, I think I did a good job." She smiled and tightened the ribbons again. "I originally wanted to curl your hair."

"I'm sorry, Beatrice," said Joy, still staring at her reflection. "Its so easy to lose track of time in this huge castle," said Joy, and she spun around in front of the mirror. "I've never felt so pretty in my life!" Beatrice smiled and picked up a swatch of silver fabric off the bed.

"Your cloak, my Lady," she said and handed Joy a shimmering silver cloak with the golden emblem of Aslan as the clasp. Joy reverently took it from her and gently rested the heavy fabric around her shoulders. She did up the clasp and looked up at the mirror again.

"I still can't believe that's me," she said with awe. "I mean, what happened to Joy?" Joy stared at the reflection, feeling confused. "I don't think I'm proper enough to be a Lady."

"There is more than one way to be a Lady," said Beatrice "through loyalty and devotion to her friends and being brave when it counts." Beatrice smiled up at her and Joy smoothed the fabric of the dress with her hands, not sure what to say.

"Joy?" came Rebecca's voice along with a knock on the door. "Are you ready? We need to get over to the Great Hall right away." Joy quickly looked at Beatrice.

"Thank you for everything," she said, and Beatrice nodded before Joy rushed over to the door and pulled it open.

Rebecca looked gorgeous; her hair was pulled back in braids at the sides of her head, then wrapped around and criss-crossed around her loose hair until it tied together at the small of her back. Her dress was plum-coloured, with a slightly darker pattern of leaves and vines woven into the fabric. Golden lace lined the neckline and there was a panel of the same lace just above the elbow on each sleeve. She had a golden cloak with the same Aslan clasp resting at her throat.

"Rebecca," Joy gasped "you look perfect!" Rebecca slowly turned around, letting Joy admire the whole look of the dress. Once she faced Joy again, Joy stepped closer and whispered, "Wait until Peter sees you."

"Oh shush," said Rebecca, blushing. She made Joy straighten her shoulders and smiled wistfully. "You know," she said thoughtfully "I hardly recognize the dust-covered girl who was exploring the attic and reading my diary."

"Hey!" Joy stepped out of her grasp. "You were no fun anymore! What was I supposed to do to amuse myself?" Both girls laughed and started down the hallway. Beatrice, Ember and Rebecca's maidservant Echo the centaur followed them as they walked carefully up the stairs and down the hallways until they reached the Keep. As they stepped inside the Keep and the narrow hallway which encircled the Great Hall, the Narnians turned left as the girls went right. They thanked their Narnian friends before they parted ways, and Ember wished them both "Good luck," as they walked away.

The girls slowly approached the others, all dressed in glittering and beautiful clothes and the magnificent Aslan stood at the centre of the children. Peter's eyes nearly fell out of his head when he saw Rebecca, and Joy wished she had a camera to capture the expression on his face. She bit her lip to keep herself from laughing and went over to stand by Edmund. She told him he looked nice and he said she cleaned up good, and they both smiled. Even though Joy thought he looked rather handsome. Susan and Lucy gushed over the girls' dresses, and vice versa. Peter tried twice to say something to Rebecca, who merely blushed and acted like she had no idea what he was going to say, and Aslan smiled proudly at them all.

"Rebecca, Joy, get ready," he said. They moved towards the doors as they swung open and then the trumpets blared from inside the Hall. Joy barely had a chance to take a deep breath before Aslan said "Go," and the girls walked forward at an even pace.

Joy thought the room looked even more beautiful than it had that morning. Narnian creatures filled the room from the columns to the aisle, all dressed up in their finest and groomed to perfection. Centaurs lined the aisle with the dais beyond them, their armour shining in the sunlight and holding banners straight up towards the ceiling. A part of Joy wanted to act brave and confident, while the other part of her was afraid she would do something wrong in front of all the Narnians. It seemed like the longest walk of her life, until they suddenly reached the dais.

Rebecca lifted her hem and walked daintily up the steps in golden shoes. Joy lifted her hem so she could do the same, only to realize that she was still wearing her regular boots and not the silver flats which were back in her room and sitting underneath her bed. She paused at the foot of the stairs and looked up at Rebecca who was now in her place at the top of the dais. Rebecca gave her a discreet look, and Joy sheepishly smiled back. She then climbed up the steps and stood on Rebecca's left.

Now came the moment all of Narnia had been waiting for since before over one hundred years ago. The merpeople, who had been singing below the Northern windows, changed their song and Aslan came down the aisle with the Kings and Queens on either side of him. The centaurs, one of them being Orious, all turned their heads towards the dais as Aslan and the Kings and Queens walked by. The group stopped at the foot of the dais, and Joy was glad to see Edmund grinning from ear to ear. Then, the children walked up onto the dais and stood facing the Narnians with their thrones behind them. Aslan stood on the edge of the dais and was now facing the Narnians as well. Then, the music and the singing stopped and Aslan opened his mouth to speak.

"To the glistening Eastern sea," he said, "I give you Queen Lucy, the Valiant." Lucy gasped with excitement as she looked out at the crowd. The Beavers made their way up the steps and stood to the side near Rebecca and Joy. They were holding two velvet pillows with two crowns resting on each. Mr. Tumnus followed them, wearing a fancy new scarf. He picked up a delicate silver crown made of tiny silver flowers and placed it gently on Lucy's head. She smiled up at him, and he gave her a little nod, smiling back.

"To the great Western wood," said Aslan "King Edmund the Just." Mr. Tumnus picked up the other silver crown, carved with leaves, and put it on Edmund's head. As he stood up, Joy thought about how much he had changed. All of that mean and spiteful boy had now disappeared forever. She grinned at her friend with pride as he looked over at the others.

"To the radiant Southern sun," said Aslan "Queen Susan the Gentle." Mr. Tumnus picked up with twisting golden crown made of flowers and leaves, and slowly placed it on Susan's head. She smiled gratefully at the faun, and then he rushed to pick up the last golden crown.

"And to the clear Northern sky," said Aslan in a powerful voice "I give you King Peter," and Mr. Tumnus put the crown on his head "the Magnificent." Peter stood up, looking truly magnificent in every sense of the word. The children then sat down on the thrones, and Aslan turned around to face them.

"Once a King or Queen of Narnia, always a King or Queen," he said. "May your wisdom grace us until the stars rain down from the heavens," said Aslan. Then, Aslan, Rebecca, Joy and all the Narnians shouted "Long live King Peter! Long live King Edmund! Long live Queen Susan! Long live Queen Lucy!" The Pevensies all looked at each other with excitement and pure joy, and the cheering and rejoicing rang throughout the Hall. Rebecca nudged Joy's hand and she looked over as King Peter stood up, walked to Aslan's side and whispered something in the lion's ear. Joy wondered what was going on when Edmund and Lucy looked over at her and grinned. Suddenly, in the midst of the celebrating, Aslan clapped his paws together and called for silence.

"Silence!" he shouted in a strong but gentle tone. The Narnians quickly quieted down, looking at each other with slight confusion and whispering. "The coronation is not over," said Aslan. Joy almost sighed aloud for the cloak was getting very heavy on her shoulders. She then noticed the Pevensies and realized they were _all_ looking at her and Rebecca with big smiles. Rebecca must have noticed for she looked over at Joy with confusion written all over her features. What was going on? And why were the Kings and Queens looking at them in this way? Aslan began to speak again.

"When the prophecy first came into Narnia about our Kings and Queens, all of Narnia was so excited that they waited with eager anticipation and passed the prophecy down from generation to generation," he said. All the Narnians nodded, agreeing with his words. "But," he paused "there was a second part, one that has been kept hidden from most of Narnia. Only a few select families were told with the understanding to pass it down from one generation to another. This way, word of the prophecy would not find its way back to the Witch." He looked down at the audience. "Fox and Ember are two members of the families. Unfortunately, a member of the third family, Auryn the dryad, is unable to be here today but Fox's initial report confirmed the fulfillment of the prophecy." The Narnians broke out chattering, now looking very confused. Joy noticed Mr. Fox standing in the front row, smiling at her. Aslan turned his great head towards Rebecca and Joy. "Kneel before me, children." Rebecca looked at Joy, slightly shrugged and moved forward. Joy followed behind her, her knees shaking.

"What's going on?" asked Rebecca as she knelt before Aslan's right paw and Joy before his left, and Joy was starting to feel nervous. The Narnians fell silent as Aslan raised his head again.

"The second part of the prophecy said that two Daughters of Eve would come with your Kings and Queens," he said, and Joy gasped. She stared up into Aslan's face, unable to believe the words he was saying. She looked over at Rebecca, who looked up at Aslan with utter peace and solemnity. "They would assist them and help take Narnia back from the Witch." Aslan scanned the crowd of Narnians. "They were to become Protectors of Narnia." Protectors?! A sense of purpose filled Joy and she smiled despite the serious moment playing out before her.

"Thank you, Aslan," whispered Rebecca as she bowed her head. Mrs. Beaver appeared on Aslan's left holding another velvet pillow with two thin circlets on it, one silver and one gold. Beside her came Ember and Mr. Fox. Joy noticed that the silver one had delicately carved arrows on it, and the gold one was carved with swords. Mr. Fox, now standing on his hind paws, picked up the silver one and placed it on Joy's head.

"To the Southeastern rivers," said Aslan "I give you Lady Joy, the Loyal Protector." Joy slowly stood up but didn't turned around for Mrs. Beaver had motioned for her to wait. She looked in the faces of the Pevensies, who were all smiling proudly at her. Then, Ember picked up the circlet of gold and placed it on Rebecca's head.

"To the Northwestern mountains," continued Aslan "I give you Lady Rebecca, the Brave Protector." Rebecca rose up from her knees, and both girls slowly turned around. Cheers erupted once again throughout the hall.

"Long live our Protectors!" shouted the Narnians. "Long live Lady Rebecca! Long live Lady Joy!" Joy looked at Aslan, who smiled at her and then walked off the dais. The Kings and Queens then stood up and bestowed honours on Mr. Tumnus, Mr. Fox, the Beavers and the Badgers, Philip, Ember, Oreius, Jamila and Coron.

After all the formalities were finished with, dancing took over the Great Hall. The children all hung up their cloaks in the narrow side hallway on wooden pegs and joined in. Those who were patient enough taught some traditional Narnian dances to the Kings, Queens and Protectors, and the children quickly caught on. At one point, all the fauns proceeded to lead everyone about the room in a line, kicking up their cloven hooves and laughing as the children tried to do the same.

Joy finally stopped after a dance that reminded her of a jig, and her feet were beginning to feel sore. She headed towards the ivory doors where other Narnians had left previously to go to the great feast in the Dining Hall. She looked over her shoulder and saw Peter and Rebecca dancing together. She smiled at the two and stepped out into the hallway.

"Are you finished already?" asked Edmund, running up beside her.

"I'm hungry," she said. "Come on," and they walked down the hallway and stepped out onto the open-air staircase. "Aren't you?" she asked, gathering her skirts so she wouldn't trip and fall down the stairs.

"No, I'm too excited!" said Edmund, coming up beside her "I also still have to wrap my head around what happened tonight," he said. "There's so much to think about." The two reached the bottom of the stairs and entered another hallway.

"I still can't believe it," said Joy. "I was made a Protector. I am a Lady of the Court!" They turned a corner and headed for the open door at the end of the hall.

"I can't believe that you were made a Lady," said Edmund, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "That one is the hardest thing to wrap my head around," he said with a smile and Joy whacked him hard in the shoulder. "Ow!" he exclaimed and Joy laughed.

"Just because you're King now, that doesn't mean you can get away with everything," teased Joy.

"You should be careful you know," said Edmund as he rubbed the sore spot on his arm "I could have you banished."

"Banish a Protector of Narnia?" asked Joy and she flippantly rolled her eyes. "Impossible," she said. They began laughing and Joy knew that she had found a lifelong friend in Edmund. "Thanks Ed," she said.

"For what?" asked Edmund.

"For being my friend," said Joy. Edmund smiled and held out his arm.

"My pleasure," he said. Joy looped her arm through his and they marched into the Dining Hall.

Inside the Hall, the two found the long table piled high with roasted meat, fresh fruits, flasks of many different drinks, and seafood dishes. Every dish the children looked at could hardly be compared to the next; everything looked that splendid. Joy grabbed a plate and started filling it up and popping some berries into her mouth when she thought no one was looking.

"I say Ed," said Joy, and she swallowed before continuing "all of you knew what was going to happen tonight. When did Aslan tell you?"

"Yesterday," said Edmund "when he sent you and Rebecca off to the solar." Edmund set his loaded plate down on the table. "Aslan told us about the prophecy and insisted that we were not to breathe a word of it to either of you. He wanted you to find out at the coronation." They moved to the windows with their food. "The look on your face was worth it."

"Well, good for you," said Joy "for keeping it a secret for so long." Joy took a bite of roast beef and sighed as the flavours burst on her tongue.

"You know, now that I think about it," said Edmund, his mouth full of food "I wonder if the Witch _did_ know about the prophecy." He swallowed and looked over at her. "Remember when the wolves attacked us at the Camp and they insisted I hand you over to them?" Joy froze as the memories came flooding back to her.

"Yes," she said, "I think you're right!" She turned to face him. "She must have known something or suspected it at least. Maybe Auryn was captured and told her," suggested Joy and Edmund nodded. "I'm glad the Witch never succeeded in any of her plans." Edmund nodded again and swallowed.

"I think if we had all known about the prophecy," he said "we would have known it was you and Rebecca. You both stood up for Narnia in battle and you protected me on the battlefield, even when you ran out of arrows!" Joy smiled at his words. "Rebecca helped my family make their way to Aslan's Camp when we were separated," continued Edmund "and was prepared to fight and protect you and Narnia at all costs." Joy nodded in agreement.

"You're right, Edmund," she said, and she looked around the room. "I need to thank Aslan for all he's done," said Joy, but she saw no sign of the golden lion. "Where is he?" she asked, and Edmund shrugged for his mouth was full of food. Joy frowned at him and then went outside onto the balcony. She looked down at the battlements for any sight of the golden lion.

Nothing.

"Joy?" called Rebecca's voice from inside. Joy turned around as Rebecca appeared on the balcony. "There you are," she said as she approached Joy. "I couldn't find you in the Great Hall!"

"I was hungry," said Joy. "I just came out here to look for Aslan," and she stopped talking when Rebecca grabbed her hand.

"Come with me," she said, "Aslan wants to see us both." The two quickly entered the Dining Hall again. Joy called out "Save my food!" to Edmund as they passed him. They rushed down a hallway, took a set of stairs down to the ground floor and Joy was surprised to see Aslan waiting in the courtyard by a gate which opened to the grassy hillside. The two girls stopped before him, and curtsied.

"Aslan," said Joy as she straightened "I wanted to thank you for all you've done for me." Aslan nodded, his eyes smiling at her. Rebecca nodded.

"It is the same for me, Aslan" said Rebecca "I thank you for allowing me to grow and fulfill this prophecy," she chuckled "without us realizing it."

"You are welcome," said Aslan. "Now, may I see the compass?" asked the lion, and Rebecca produced it from an invisible pocket in her dress which Joy had not realized existed. Aslan held out a golden, velveted paw and Rebecca gently placed the compass inside the paw. He drew his paw close and examined it with his eyes. "You both have held this compass?" he asked.

"Yes," said Rebecca.

"And that was when all those markings appeared on the compass," said Joy.

"That was how the compass was supposed to worked," said Aslan, and he handed the compass back to Rebecca. "Once it had been held by both Protectors, the markings indicating your true calling would appear. And on the back is written the full prophecy in the ancient Narnian text."

"Thank you, Aslan," said Rebecca breathlessly "I shall hold to this special treasure every day and fulfill the prophecy with every word I speak or every action I take."

"I know you will, child," said Aslan, and he looked at Joy. Joy opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out and she did not know what to say. "And now, I must leave here for a while," said Aslan.

"Leave?" asked Joy, finding her words again. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"Where I am needed most," said Aslan, and he turned to face Rebecca. Rebecca stepped forward, reached out her left hand and touched the golden mane of Aslan. Joy instantly ached to touch Aslan's mane herself, but she could not summon the courage to step forward.

"Please, Aslan," said Rebecca, her voice cracked with tears "don't leave us yet." She looked down at the compass in her right hand and took a deep breath. "There's so much I want to learn from you, and I don't know when I will see you again." Joy found her eyes welling up and she tried to blink her tears away.

"Beloved," said Aslan gently "I shall be watching out for you," he looked at Joy "and you, and all of Narnia. You both will continue to learn and grow along with our Kings and Queens, and I will see you both soon."

"Soon?" asked Joy, stepping closer. "What do you call soon, Aslan?"

"All times, any time," said Aslan "I will be back soon." With that, he turned his great head towards the gate and slowly walked away. Rebecca and Joy wrapped their arms around each other for support and let their tears flow freely down their cheeks.

"I miss him already," whispered Joy, and Rebecca squeezed her shoulder, too choked up to talk. A thought suddenly struck Joy and she broke out of Rebecca's hold. Taking the compass from Rebecca's hand, she looked down at the arrow and smiled. "Rebecca? I think I know what Aslan wants us to do now." Rebecca's teary eyes met hers and she looked down at the compass. She smiled and started laughing.

"He's right, and you're right," she said. The arrow was pointing back at the castle, and Joy grabbed Rebecca's hand after she wiped her eyes.

"Come on," she said, "I bet Peter and the others are looking for you." The two sisters went back into the castle and made their way back into the Dining Hall. The Kings and Queens were now gathered in the Dining Hall, eating and chatting with other Narnians. Joy spotted her empty plate on the window ledge and she gave Edmund a slight glare before she headed out to the balcony. She moved to the Eastern edge and looked out at the beach, lying far below the castle, and spotted some rather large pawprints in the sand. Sighing with defeat, she looked out at the setting sun.

"What are you looking at?" asked Edmund, and he set a plate of food in front of her.

"Oh, thank you," she said and looked back out at the beach. "Ed, Aslan is gone," and she pointed out at the beach. She sighed and dropped her hand. "And who knows when we'll see him again?" Edmund grew solemn and stared out at the fading pawprints. Then, a wistful smile crept over his features and he looked at Joy.

"Aslan knows," he said. "Aslan knows everything, and he will come back, Joy." Joy looked at him and smiled.

"Thanks, Ed," said Joy, and the two looked out at the waters.

And yet, their adventure in Narnia had barely begun.


	15. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The Kings and Queens governed Narnia well, and long and happy was their reign. Later, when the history of that time period was written down and stored in the castle library, it was called the Golden Age of Narnia. As you have probably heard of the accomplishments of the Kings and Queens, I will tell you about the Protectors instead.

Much of the Protectors' duties at the beginning of the Golden Age involved stamping out the remnants of the White Witch's army. Sightings of werewolves, hags, minotaurs and all those foul breeds were reported to the Protectors and they would go out and investigate. The Protectors also worked to stop anyone from using dark magic and months after the coronation, they uncovered one half of the Witch's wand in the possession of a hag. Unfortunately, the other half was never to be found. They did, however, find out what happened to the third family member who kept the prophecy of the Protectors. After interrogating a Black Dwarf, he confessed to chopping down Auryn the dryad's tree, thus killing her, after the White Witch first heard the rumour of the Protectors two years before the humans arrived in Narnia. Afterwards, Rebecca, Joy, Mr. Fox and Ember went to where her stump stood and paid their respects to the dryad.

Lady Rebecca helped High King Peter with setting up outposts along the borders and inspected them every year for disrepair. She also equipped them with the fastest of Narnian creatures so as to get word to Cair Paravel in time in case of an invasion from the surrounding countries. Later on, Rebecca was made a General of the Narnian army and rode into battle many times alongside Peter and Oreius. They worked together so often that Peter and Rebecca saw fit to get married to one another and Rebecca became the third Queen of Narnia.

Lady Joy rode into battle far less frequently, but she went on many diplomatic visits to Archenland, the Lone Islands and the remote Seven Isles in order to maintain friendship and peace between their allies. She also went along with Edmund, Susan and Mr. Tumnus to Calormen and fought against them in the battle for Archenland when Prince Rabadash invaded the country. Afterwards, Joy became the official ambassador to Archenland and stayed at Anvard for many days at a time.

One day in the early fall when Joy was back at Cair Paravel, the Narnian royals received word that the White Stag had been seen in the Western woods. So, the six set out in search of the magnificent beast for Mr. Tumnus had told them it would grant their wishes if they caught him. They rode hard across Narnia and through the woods. Peter led the group but Rebecca was close behind him. Susan, Lucy and Joy were all clustered together in the middle of the group and Edmund brought up the rear. As they entered a thick wood, Joy was the first one to notice that they had left Edmund behind. The group trotted back into a clearing and found Edmund and Philip standing nearby. Susan and Joy trotted across the clearing towards him.

"Come on, Ed," said Susan.

"Just catching my breath," said Edmund with Philip was panting beneath him.

"Well that's all we'll catch at this rate!" exclaimed Susan.

"What did he say again, Susan?" asked Lucy, riding up beside her.

"Oh, he's slowing us down," said Joy, pointing at him with her thumb. Edmund gave her a frown and Joy gave him a bright smile back.

"'You girls wait at the castle, I'll get the Stag myself,'" said Susan in a deep voice, and all the girls started laughing. Edmund merely smiled for he was usually quieter than the others. Joy then noticed he was staring up at something, and Joy followed his gaze.

A tree of iron, with a lamp burning on top, was standing in the middle of the clearing.

"What's this?" asked Peter. He dismounted and helped Rebecca down. The others stopped laughing and dismounted as well. They all gathered around the strange tree as a sense of familiarity washed over them. "It seems familiar," remarked Peter.

"A foreboding familiar," said Rebecca, taking Peter's hand.

"As if from a dream," said Susan slowly "or a dream of a dream." They all stared up at it, unable to tear their eyes from it.

"I feel like something about it will change us forever," said Rebecca quietly. Then, a strange word popped into Joy's head.

"Lamppost," said Joy quietly, and Edmund nodded in agreement.

"Spare Oom," said Lucy, and she started running towards the nearest thicket. Joy's feet started following, and she felt like she had done this some time before.

"Lucy!" called Peter.

"Joy!" called Rebecca. The others started running after the two. Susan muttered "Not again," as she ran. They all blundered into the bushes.

"Lu?" asked Peter.

"Come on!" said Lucy excitedly. The trees suddenly grew close together, and Peter, ahead of Joy, said "These aren't branches!" Something soft brushed across Joy's face.

"They're coats," said Susan. Edmund got stuck in the coats and called out in frustration. Joy grabbed his hand and pulled him through. The space suddenly grew dark and closed in on them.

"Peter, don't push!" said Edmund in a high-pitched voice. The ground beneath their feet became wooden planks. Everyone jostled each other while searching for a way out. Joy couldn't remember how she got in front of the group, but suddenly the door in front of her swung open and she tumbled out onto a wooden floor! The others quickly followed and Susan was the last one out, landing on her knees by the wardrobe behind them. With a great shock, the children realized they were back in the wardrobe room, and now fifteen years younger.

The door at the front of the room opened, and in walked Professor Kirke! "Oh!" he exclaimed. "There you are!" He walked across the floor towards them, all either lying or kneeling on the floor with the open wardrobe behind them. "What were you all doing in the wardrobe?" asked Professor Kirke with a glint in his eyes. Peter looked from Susan behind him to Rebecca lying on his right and then back at the Professor.

"You wouldn't believe us if we told you, Sir," he said. Professor Kirke tossed Peter a small red ball, the one that had broken the stained-glass window. All the children looked up at him with smiles.

"Try me," said Professor Kirke.

And try they did. Little by little, they told the Professor the whole story and to Edmund, Joy and Lucy's surprise, he believed every word! He also told them of how the lamppost came to be in Narnia along with the White Witch, and Joy remembered the stories of Lord Digory and Lady Polly from the castle library. Both Rebecca and Peter quickly realized there was one thing the magic did not take back: their Narnian wedding rings. Both switched them to their right hands so they could wear them all the time and not attract attention.

As the days passed, the reality of it all set in; they were now children again and had once been great leaders of a magical country. All their friends in that world would be looking for them, but how could they get back? How would they adjust to life back in England? Professor Kirke told them they would not get back through the wardrobe again. But they would get back to Narnia again, it was only a matter of time.

And it was that belief that the children clung to in their hearts.


End file.
